From Booklist:
Ages 4-7. A spring storm is coming, but Ruby is determined to visit Grampa. She packs cookies, brownies, cups, candles, checkers, and a score pad, then dons her poncho and boots for the trek. As she makes her way through the streets, she notices the effects of the storm: The sky looks like night; people and their possessions are pushed about by the wind; the ice-cold rain pelts down on her nose. When she finally reaches Grampa's, the two enjoy a cozy snack of cookies and hot chocolate before settling in for a game of checkers. Cote's brightly colored gouache illustrations make generous use of warm browns, reds, and yellows for people and interiors. Those colors contrast nicely with the storm's cool blues and purples and leave the reader with a feeling of safety--here is a storm that will do no great damage. Although adult readers from tornado-prone areas may wonder how Ruby's mother can send her out alone on a nonessential trip in such weather, children are not likely to question such details. A perfect choice for a spring story hour; expect young listeners to recall their own stormy experiences. Kay Weisman
From Publishers Weekly:
As in Nana's Birthday Party , Hest fashions tender, intimate relationships between children and their grandparents. But this title's meager plot and uncharacteristically awkward prose overshadow Hest's natural warmth as a storyteller. Ruby packs a basket of cookies and checkers for a visit to Grampa's. But Ruby must walk through a spring storm to get there. After savoring the storm's power and its effects ("the greengrocer chased apples and pears"), she finally arrives at Grampa's to spend a cozy evening. Although Grampa and Ruby's hot chocolate party brings a satisfying denouement, the story suffers from distractions ranging from odd similes and images ("the city looked like night" and "windows shot down") to such non sequiturs as Ruby's daydream of having a dog accompany her to Grampa's. This book's silver lining, however, lies in Cote's childlike gouaches. Ebullient and pleasingly off-kilter, they convey Ruby's sense of adventure and the slightly wild glee of a romp in the rain. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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