Author: Maribeth Boelts
Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2016
Length: 34
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Analysis:
This book tells the touching story of Rueben, a young boy who can’t afford a bike that he really wants. When he sees a woman drop $1 on accident, he scoops it up, not knowing that it is actually $100. With this money, he can buy the bike he wants! He loses the bill and feels a crushing loss. Then, when he finds it again, he knows he must return it to the woman who lost it. Back at the supermarket, he finds the woman and gives the money back, knowing that he is giving up his bike, but that he is doing the right thing.
The text of this story reels the reader in because it presents Rueben as a very relatable character. As children, we have all desperately wanted something that we’ve considered doing something morally wrong to get it. With having to decide whether to do the right thing or do what he wants to, the text makes the reader sympathize with Rueben and root for him to do the right thing. At the end, the father says, “What you did wasn’t easy, but it was right… We’re so proud” and Rueben says, “I am proud, too.” The ending to this book fills your heart with love for Rueben because he overcame his wants in order to do the right thing, something we all must do. The message of the story is therefore very important for young readers to understand, and this book does a beautiful way of telling it.
The illustrations are also a large part of why this book is wonderful because they depict the family as a multiracial family, which is very common in society today. Also, it is great because it allows children of other races to connect to this story more than they may have if the protagonist was white. When the illustrations depict part of the story in school, the classroom is made up of many different races. Another part of the illustrations which is also very notable is the drawing of the inside of the family’s home. Where some houses could be depicted with wallpaper and furniture and a nice TV and rug, the interior of their home is decorated with sparse furniture and decorations. This helps to depict this family and their social status. Even though they may be poor and not have enough money to get all the items on their grocery list, this family is clearly filled with love.
This book illustrates what it can be like for a child living in poverty, wanting things he can’t have, and having to make the choice to not do immoral things to get what he wants. This could be a window for some readers to see what this could be like, or a mirror for others to know that there are other kids out there who are living with similar experiences as they are.