Rubbaduck And Ruby Roo [School & Library Binding]

Hiawyn Oram (Author), David Lucas (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Oram cleverly weaves together elements of familiar and beloved fairy tales to create a predictable and enjoyable story. When rag doll Ruby Roo moves in with Rubbaduck in the land of "old and lost toys," she quickly consumes everything in the industrious little guy's pantry. She has obviously spent much time with the Jacks (as in "Lazy" and "Beanstalk") because when the old duck gives her his best coat to take to market, she trades it to Mischievous Monkey for a Magic Dancing Stick. Rubbaduck is not too happy about this, yet he continues to give her valuables to sell that she exchanges for magical items. But before Rubbaduck can get too angry about the fiddle she has acquired, King Lion comes along, offering a bag of gold to anyone who can make the Queen (who hasn't smiled in years) beam. Rubbaduck and Ruby Roo successfully entertain her with their magical acquisitions, claim the bag of gold, and live happily ever after. Whimsical watercolor-and-pen illustrations add charm and humor to this tale. Children will guffaw at the impulsive Ruby Roo and take pleasure in the happy ending.–Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. Rubbaduck, a rubber duck, lives in the land of forgotten toys, perfectly content to spend his retirement growing vegetables. All is well until a cast-off rag doll, Ruby Roo, knocks on his door and commences to eat him out of house and home. When the cupboards are bare, Rubbaduck sends his temporary tenant out to sell his best coat for gold to buy seeds to plant more vegetables. Enter Mischievous Monkey! He persuades the doll to barter the duck's coat for a magic dancing stick. Needless to say, Rubbaduck is displeased. Twice more, Ruby Roo falls prey to the monkey's clever wiles, and the cupboard stays bare. In the end, however, the expected lesson (You can't eat magic?) is inverted when the dancing stick and other enchanted monkey wares end up garnering a laugh from the queen and a big bag of gold from the king. Lucas' quirky, stylized illustrations reflect and enhance the sweet, funny nature of this happy-ending folktale that calls for a teaspoon of frivolity in every recipe for success. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 28 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Pr (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590783565
• ISBN-13: 978-1590783566
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,773,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Disappointing Effort from Talented Team, November 5, 2005

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rubbaduck And Ruby Roo (School & Library Binding)

David Lucas' whimsical detailed illustrations and typically surprising colors get this story off to a promising beginning. Ruby Roo, a ragtop doll, and Rubbaduck (you guessed it-- a rubber duck) reside in a large community of other castoff toys.

Unfortunately, the predictable story, impersonal characters, and incongruities between text and illustrations spoil this effort from an award-winning duo. There's nothing wrong about using a familiar motif, but this trickster tale has little wit, and the conclusion just seems convenient rather than surprising. Ruby Roo comes to live with the rubber duck, a character drawn with next to zero personality or emotion. When she eats all the duck's food (for unexplained reasons), Rubbaduck sends her to the market with his best clothes to sell so that he can replant the garden. She goes three times, and each time a trickster monkey trades "magical" items for the food, which she happily brings to the duck. Ruby Roo's facial emotions often don't seem to fit the situation. When the duck discovers that there's no more food, when he "wails" that they can't plant a dancing stick, she has a mildly happy look on her face. It's not that she's incapable of expressing emotion, as she smiles at other times.

The food problem is resolved when the King (there's a King?) arrives abruptly at their door, announcing that there's a pot of gold for anyone who can make the sad Queen laugh. The resourceful but bland duck takes the magic items to the palace (cleverly drawn, though some of the detail will be enjoyed only by watchful adults) where they performed as described by the monkey.

I know this is "just" for toddlers, but toddlers may not identify with the characters or a conclusion better suited to a slightly older audience. (Ruby Roo comments, as they sit some close together on a bench, "I knew things would work out between us, if you gave me a chance!"). They may also have trouble following the slightly chaotic pictures. Still, those illustration--bright, vivid, unusually colored, and looking at times like something "Babes in Toyland" meets the Russian constructivists of the early 20th century--are the highlight of the book. "Halibut Jackson," available here at Amazon.com, shows Lucas' plentiful talents in a much better book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TOYLAND WAS NEVER LIKE THIS, February 12, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rubbaduck And Ruby Roo (School & Library Binding)

Ever wonder if there's a retirement center for old, castoff toys? It seems there is, at least in the imagination of British author Hiawyn Oram.

Rubbaduck is one such toy, shall we say a rubber duck who's lost his floating ability? Nonetheless, he lives quite contentedly among other on-in-years toys. He's built a little house, and tends a vegetable patch in which he takes great pride. All is calm and predictable until the day Ruby Roo appears on his doorstep.

Ruby's child has outgrown her, so now what is rag doll to do? Kindhearted Rubbaduck invited her to stay with him until she became acclimated to her new surroundings. Little did he know what an appetite Ruby possessed. She soon ate everything in the cupboards, and even picked all his vegetables and devoured all of them.

Well, that really put Rubbaduck in a bind. He's forced to sell his best coat in order to buy seeds to plant more vegetables. He entrusts this task to Ruby. Major mistake!
Youngsters will thoroughly enjoy the rollicking adventures of Ruby Roo as she tries to right her wrongs.

- Gail Cooke