Ruby is constantly being told to speak more quietly by neighbors, parents, and her teacher. On the day that her classmates tell her that they no longer wish to play with her, she walks home sadly. But rescue comes in the form of a saxophone player and a jazz singer who teach her to sing. Now, everyone enjoys Ruby singing “the blues,” including the audience at her school con cert. Ruby’s exuberance is captured in cartoon-style drawings while a large type font in bold is used to graphically display her voice at full volume. 2006 USBBY-CBC Outstanding International Books List. hc, mm

Originally published by Frances Lin coln Great Britain, in 2005.