Ruby Paints a Picture (I Can Read! / Ruby Raccoon)
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Large, well-spaced text with lots of repetition works well with the endearing illustrations of woodland animals. Ruby, a raccoon, is all set to paint a picture of a tree, but her friends come along one by one and want to be included in the painting. She is very accommodating. When she puts her paintbrush down, her friends all feel that important defining aspects of themselves are missing, but Ruby insures them that their "best parts" are in her masterpiece-their smiles. Animals in pinafores and overalls are often used in children's books, but, in this case, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations are fresh, stimulating, and full of charm. The story includes common sight words and complete sentences, and new vocabulary is simple enough for sounding out. Although the theme is not unusual, the ending is very satisfying.-Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, CanadaCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.