Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this companion to Hart and Warburton's The Princess and the Peas (2013), Princess Ruby is a "horrid child" who gets whatever she wants, especially on her birthday: "I need a new tiara to wear each day at school./ And a pony and some roller skates and lots and lots of jewels." Since setting limits is apparently an alien concept in her kingdom, her father, the king, heads out with "a suitcase full of cash" to get the requested birthday loot. Ruby is obviously cruising for a lesson in "what really matters," and she gets it when her many acquisitions literally come crashing down around her. Hart's rhyming text offers no surprises, and readers may grow impatient as they wait for a twist or joke that never materializes. The momentum comes almost entirely from Warburton's predominantly pink images, which have the look of spun- sugar confections dreamed up by slightly batty pastry chef. Warburton's gift for visual winks and nudges serves the story well, bringing lightness and humor to the message-heavy verse. Ages 3-7. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
'But where's my giant tree house?' / bawled the greedy little tyke. / 'You promised me a cell phone, / three puppies, and a bike!'" Brat-tastic birthday princess Ruby embraces a less-is-more attitude only after the palace capsizes under the weight of her gifts, burying her father. It's well done, with gently mocking illustrations featuring all the pink decor you'd expect. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Bright candy colors and rhyming text characterize this tale of an utterly self-centered princess and her gentle dad, the king.Princess Ruby's birthday is coming up, and she wants a zillion presents, and she wants the best party, and she has the palace staff and her father at a run. Even her frizzy hair looks demanding. When the big day finally comes, she opens the biggest present and demands more. Well, there are presents everywhere: on the stairs, in all the bedrooms and even piled in the bathrooms. Ruby is delighted until an ominous cracking and creaking reveal the palace is about to collapse under the weight of all the gifts. The king sends Ruby outside to safety, and she tells him he must rescue every single present! When the castle does indeed collapse, Ruby realizes that what is dearest to her is her dad, and with the help of firefighters and citizenry, the king is found safe, protected by the cardboard box that held her treehouse. Undergoing a complete change of heart, Ruby serves a little cake and tea to everyone, and she "live[s] happily ever after / with her daddy in the tree." The predominant color for everything is an acid pink, although the last image fades to a prettier pastel palette.Ruby is so repellent before her metamorphosis readers will be hard put to care for her when it comes. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
