Ruby’s Heart Song is a delightful story about a singing penguin who discovers the melody of her heart. Ruby worries that she doesn’t have what it takes to sing in the talent show. When Ruby sings in front of other penguins, her body feels all jumbly wumbly and her heart beats louder than a drum. But after sharing her heart strings with her best friend Pengwee, Ruby’s unbridled heart delivers a show stopping tune. This beautifully illustrated book contains themes of mindfulness, self-awareness and heartfelt inspiration. For kids ages 3-7.
Ruby’s Heart Song is the second book in the Pengwee & Ruby picture book series. Each book provides engaging stories involving two adorable and best friend penguins with embedded lessons of mindfulness and social-emotional learning.
A musical rendition of the signature song in Ruby’s Heart Song, also by the same name, can be found worldwide on all music platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The song is a collaboration between Debbie Nutley (lyrics) and Wells Hanley (music).
An adorable young penguin overcomes stage fright and learns self-confidence in the second of Nutley’s Pengwee & Ruby picture book series. When the glacier’s Talent Show rolls around, Ruby—a fledgling penguin who marches to her own beat—declares she’s “nexcited,” a combo of nervous and excited, to her friend, Pengwee. Being nexcited is no small thing, either, as Ruby goes on to explain it makes her “body feel all jumbly wumbly” and causes her heart to beat too loudly—so loud, she’s worried she’ll be a flop on stage.Pengwee, in true best friend fashion, coaxes the value of having an extra strong heart out of Ruby, building her up with chummy assurances that his heart does the same thing when he’s uneasy, and the two discover they have quite a lot in common, as Ruby announces her heart “hip-hops when I’m happy, sinks when I’m sad,” just like Pengwee’s heart “dances when I’m delighted [and] burrows when I’m bummed.” Pengwee helps build Ruby’s confidence to take the stage, and, sure enough, a familiar face in the crowd gives her the self-assurance she needs to steal the show. Rusu’s cheery hued illustrations evoke the frosty feel of glaciers against a brilliant blue sky, and Ruby and Pengwee’s expressive eyes shine as they navigate the ups and downs of self-esteem.
Younger readers will fall for the fun words and sounds Nutley introduces: Ruby dances the “Jiggly Wiggly” after her stellar performance and “joggly woggly[s]” to Pengwee for a celebratory hug, declaring her heart is “as big and warm as sunshine.” For musical-minded readers, Nutley collaborated with a songwriter to bring Ruby’s Talent Show song to life. This is a cool tale with a warm, fuzzy center.
Takeaway: Warm-hearted tale of a penguin who finds the courage to be herself.
Comparable Titles: Rachel Bright’s The Lion Inside, Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
