Finding good children’s books has become one of my little research missions. The children’s section of our home library is bursting with popular titles, old school fairytales, unicorn-centric books, Disney classics, sing songy rhyming literacy, the odd tale of poop, wee and farts, and to my chagrin a swag of books full of quotation marks. I’m not one for voices so when those pesky quotation marks pop up throughout a book, I’m pretty quick to suggest an alternative read.
Although we love the variety of literature at hand, there are some clear standouts. Michael Bond’s Paddington series has been a long-time favourite, spanning well over 40 years. We are extremely fond of Margaret Wild’s The Sloth Who Came To Stay, Jane Godwin’s All Through The Year and Oliver Jeffers’ How To Catch A Star.
But one series has us absolutely captivated. I’m going to go so far as to say these books rank at number one in our all time favourites. Allow me to introduce Ruby Red Shoes. We are quite new to Ruby but I think she’s arrived in our lives at the most perfect time.
Ruby Red Shoes is an aware hare who is gentle, kind, sensitive and has great respect for nature, especially her pet chickens. She lives with her grandmother in a colourful caravan and together they share the most wondrous moments together. From small day to day experiences to great journeys, Ruby’s stories are whimsical and enchanting.
Two of the books in the collection see Ruby travel with her grandmother Babushka Galushka, to Paris and London where they meet relatives, create beautiful memories and find happiness in the simplicity of every day life.
These storylines bring back very happy memories of my days living and working abroad, travelling across to Europe and exploring the globe just as I hope my daughter can do one day. The bond between Ruby and her grandmother is not unlike my daughter’s relationship with her Nana and I see a wonderful similarity in the experiences we share when travelling as a family.
The Ruby Red Shoes series has been delightfully written and illustrated by wonderfully talented Australian author Kate Knapp. Kate’s gorgeous watercolours are exquisite and perfectly capture Ruby’s adventures. She is a graduate of the Queensland College of Art and has a design studio, Twigseeds, which produces cards, prints, stationery and books.
Ruby Red Shoes was shortlisted for the 2013 Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award for Children's Book Illustration.
Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris was shortlisted for the 2014 Australian Book Industry Award for Book of the Year for Younger Children and for the 2014 Inaugural Readings Children's Book Prize.
Kate is also the creator of a series of early learning books. Titles include Learn with Ruby Red Shoes: Alphabet Book, Learn with Ruby Red Shoes: Counting Book, The World of Ruby Red Shoes: A Book About Ruby's Day and The World of Ruby Red Shoes: A Book About Ruby's Feelings.
Ruby Red Shoes My Wonderful Grandmother is Kate's latest work and although targeted at the 3+ age group, adults and children alike can enjoy this tale of two very special characters and their doting relationship to one another.
I must also compliment Harper Collins on the production of these beautiful books. The Ruby series comes in hard cover and the pages are thick, vibrant and alluring.
Ruby Red Shoes tugs at your heartstrings, with a large sprinkle of hope and joy.
Kate’s words bring a peace and calm to our sometimes busy and hectic day. The stories evoke a magical wanderlust and we can’t wait for more tales of Ruby delighting in the wonders of the world. As we come to the last page of each book, we are left with a feeling of warmth and happiness, perfect for drifting off into a relaxing and happy slumber.
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