Ruby's School Walk

K-Gr 1—Ruby has a vivid imagination. As she and her mom walk to school, a stream inhabited by frogs and logs becomes full of snapping crocodiles. An empty house becomes filled with ghosts and flying witches. A neighborhood tabby hiding behind a wall is perceived as a crouching tiger. Each time, she reminds herself, "I must be brave, I must be strong." She hops, dances, wields an imaginary sword, and sings her way to school. As she and her mother enter the classroom, Ruby's "heart beats fast," her "feet go slow," and she doesn't know "what to think or say." Mom encourages her to continue to use her imagination throughout the day and says, "Ruby, perhaps today you will be.../Catching dragons in the sky,/And teaching fairies how to fly...." The girl is ready to settle happily into her seat, and readers think her apprehension about school is gone. But the last page shows that among Ruby's classmates are a frog, crocodile, ghost, and tiger. The illustrations are rendered in acrylic paints and watercolor pencils. The pictures are filled with energy and varying perspectives, and use bright, happy hues to depict big green crocodiles and snaggle-toothed monsters, but the ending is confusing.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI