RUTHIE AND THE (NOT SO) TEENY TINY LIE

Ruthie loves her miniature assortment of dinosaurs, trains, ponies, teddy bears, seashells and a dollhouse-size tea set. Finding a teeny tiny camera on the school playground during recess, Ruthie is thrilled to claim it as her own. Happily taking pictures of everything in sight, Ruthie tries to take Martin’s picture when he informs her that she is holding his camera and he wants it back. A shouting match ensues with each child claiming ownership and Ruthie declaring, in an outright lie, “It’s mine!” “I got it for MY birthday!” Wise teacher Mrs. Olsen steps in just in time to call a truce, put the camera in her desk and defer the situation for tomorrow. Rankin addresses a common playground issue through the thoroughly believable behavior of her little fox’s full range of emotional responses, from exhilarating happiness to denial, lying, guilt, embarrassment and finally remorse. Light, crisp pencil and acrylics on watercolor paper offer visual perspective to a well-written demonstrative text through a varied set of anthropomorphized animals. Ruthie’s self-reflection and ultimate candid decision to apologize and admit wrongdoing is tenderly rewarded with a teacher’s praise and respect. Direct poignancy will spark musing and discussion in every early childhood classroom. (Picture book. 4-6)