Ruby and Grub

PreS-Gr 2—The bond between a pet and its owner is a common and endearing picture book theme. Burlingham's story features a girl named Ruby and her grubby, messy puppy, aptly named Grub. He never listens to Ruby, even when she shouts, "Stop digging!" or "Walk, Grub, Walk!" All is tolerated until the ultimate last straw occurs: Grub digs a hole under a neighbor's fence and is banned from the house. When everything at home feels off-kilter without him, it is obvious what must happen next: Grub is reunited with his family and is back to bad habits with no complaints. Preschoolers should easily predict the ups and downs of Ruby and Grub's relationship, though at times the writing is needlessly repetitive. Rhetorical questions to the reader like "Do you know what he does?" or "Do you know what he did?" become pointlessly annoying, although the accompanying soft, colorful illustrations can be amusing. Ruby yanking an upside-down Grub and Grub zipping after the ice cream truck before slobbering over an overturned cone should elicit a few good laughs. The hole that he digs, however, is hardly noticeable, nor is there any picture whatsoever of Mom, who gives the final say that Grub has to leave. At times looking more like a misshapen brown dish rag, Grub will win no awards for best looking or best behaved, but young readers will likely appreciate him as Ruby does for just being adorably fun.