A lesson in being content. Ruby's plans for a perfect day with friends ends up more special than she could have imagined!

A lesson in the importance of spending time with God. Ruby’s plans for a perfect day with friends ends up more special than she could have imagined! This is a Level One I Can Read! book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. It aligns with guided reading level H and will be of interest to children Pre-K to 2nd grade.

A lesson in making the best of a situation. When Ruby mixes her friends' advice into her cake, the results are surprising!

On Here Wee Read's 2021 Ultimate List of Diverse Children's Books! Publisher Weekly Starred Review! "Warm digital art by Southerland makes excellent use of light and shadow, and offers a lovely portrait of an expressive family with varying hairstyles and body types. This hopeful, mouthwatering narrative showcases tender family rapport." This joyful picture book taps into the rich African American tradition of family reunions, with delicious food at the heart of the celebration. Perfect for fans of the Caldecott Honor Book Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons. Once a year, each of Ruby’s relatives prepares a special dish to share at their family reunion. Daddy calls it their “signature dish”—and Ruby wants one of her own. She wanders through the bustling kitchen looking for inspiration. As she watches Pop-Pop’s chicken sizzling in the skillet, Uncle G slicing onions, and Auntie Billie cooking corn on the hot grill, she wonders if she’s just too young to have a signature dish. That’s when she finds it— the perfect solution! Angela Dalton’s warm text is perfectly paired with Jestenia Southerland’s beautiful art in this sweet picture book, filled with the tenderness and warmth of this multigenerational extended family and the food they share.

A little girl imagines that she is a queen of a sparkling winter world where her dog, Rocket, is her knight in barking armor.

A lesson in seeing the best in everyone. Ruby adds her friends into her painting and gets a smile of approval from each of them.

Ruby is always racing after her big brothers. But no matter how hard she tries, she can never catch up. Then one day, she discovers some sticks in the grass. Not just any sticks—swords! And suddenly the world is her kingdom. Readers will cheer on Ruby's perseverance and creativity as they delight in the antics of the adorable animals that join her along the way. Anyone who has ever imagined themselves the star of their own swashbuckling adventure will find this sweet book irresistible.