Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Like a lot of girls (and girl foxes) in her peer set, Ruthie loves “tiny things—the tinier the better.... She had dinky dinosaurs, itty-bitty trains, ponies no bigger than your pinky, and teddy bears that were barely there.” So when Ruthie finds a tiny camera on the playground, she immediately claims it for her own. Her classmate Martin identifies it as his birthday present, but that doesn’t deter Ruthie: she lies to her teacher—“I got it for <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">my birthday!” Rankin (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Rabbit Ears) unfolds this highly effective version of a psychological drama with skill and sympathy, using crisp, reportorial pencil-and-acrylic pictures to underscore the emotional and moral stakes. She allows readers to make their own connections to Ruthie’s true-to-life feelings of guilt (“The bus ride home took forever.... Dinner was macaroni and cheese, Ruthie’s favorite, but she couldn’t eat.”) and even subtly instructs parents in how to handle a situation like this one. Ages 3-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(July)

ALA Booklist (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Ruthie, a fox girl, loves teeny-tiny things, so when she finds a miniature camera in the schoolyard, she claims it as her own. And lies about it when fellow student Martin tells their teacher, Mrs. Olsen, that the camera belongs to Ruthie. The rest of the afternoon is long for Ruthie, and at home that night, she ruminates over her crime until she finally comes clean with her parents. Having been counseled that honesty is the best policy, Ruthie, with much trepidation, tells her teacher and Martin what she has done. Mrs. Olsen praises her for telling the truth, and Martin forgives her, too. A real-life situation might not have such a happy ending, but this gets right to the heart of what children feel when they know they've done something wrong but don't know how to set things right. The sprightly artwork is cheery in all respects, except when it comes to Ruthie. With subtle brushstrokes, Rankin captures all the varied emotions Ruthie goes through: glee, defiance, worry, fear, and eventually relief.

School Library Journal (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

PreS-Gr 2 Emotions ring true in this simple tale of learning right from wrong. A young fox loves teeny tiny toys and is delighted when she finds a miniature camera on the school playground. When confronted by the classmate who dropped it, she lets her desires get the better of her and tells the teacher that the camera was a birthday present. Ruthie's growing guilt is heartrendingly displayed in her expression and posture as she forgets the answer to 2+2 and rejects her dinner of macaroni and cheese. When she tells the truth and apologizes, her relief is palpable. Emotionally authentic in text and art, this story gets its message across without preaching. The didactic-sounding title is the book's weakest point, but that's a minor flaw. An excellent choice for bibliotherapy as well as for entertaining reading. Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Kirkus Reviews

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)