RUBY AND LONELY
By: Patrice Karst
Illustrated by: Kayla Harren
Published: September 12, 2023
Publisher: Two Lions
Fiction
As a child, and even sometimes as an adult, author Patrice Karst has felt lonely. RUBY AND LONELY was written for all the kids out there who feel lonely.
Ruby had a problem, but she didn’t know what to do about it. So she named her problem, Lonely. Ruby felt alone at home, at school, and at recess. It seemed no one noticed her. So, she decided to try solving her problem, hoping it would cheer her up.
As Ruby and Lonely started to spend time together, Ruby started to glow. Ruby brought Lonely to school and they loved watching the birds or sharing sandwiches. Ruby and Lonely would dance or paint or read together. Ruby even made a new friend at school. Soon other kids wanted to play with Ruby…and Lonely. As Ruby became happier, she started to feel more joyful and Lonely started to glow a bit more from the inside. As time went on, Ruby didn’t need Lonely as much, but she knew that Lonely would always be there for her.
Karst hopes that kids realize the only person that they can count on is themselves. You are your own best friend and you are never really alone. The more you love yourself, the more you will be able to find joy in other things and with other people. For all the kids who have felt alone or ignored, this book is for them. Discussion questions at the end of the book help kids explore feelings of loneliness and what helped Ruby feel less lonely.
Patrice Karst is the bestselling author of The Invisible String, which has sold more than a million copies and been translated into fifteen languages, and its companion titles, The Invisible Leash, The Invisible Web, You Are Never Alone: An Invisible String Lullaby, and most recently, The Invisible String Backpack. She is also the coauthor of The Invisible String Workbook with Dr. Dana Wyss. She also wrote The Smile that Went Around the World. Patrice is passionate about spreading her message of love across the planet. Born in London, England, she now lives in Southern California. Learn more at www.patricekarst.com.
Kayla Harren is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, including A Boy Like You, written by Frank Murphy, and The Boy Who Grew a Forest, written by Sophia Gholz, among other titles. She recently illustrated Thursday, by Ann Bonwill, which Midwest Book Review called “an impressively presented picture book of healing and hope for young children.” Her work has been featured in the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, and 3×3 Magazine, and she won the Highlights for Children Pewter Plate Award. She lives in Minnesota. Learn more at www.kaylaharren.com.
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Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, fiction, Kayla Harren, Patrice Karst, self esteem