Here are 100 books that A Fire Engine for Ruthie fans have personally recommended if you like
A Fire Engine for Ruthie.
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When I was growing up, I played everything my older brother, Joe, played. Including all the “boy” games. So they called me a “tomboy” and teased me. I wish my library had had books that showed how fun, play, games, pets, colors, kites... are not “for boys only” or “for girls only.” They would have made me feel better and, hopefully, opened the door to some interesting discussion of how imagination and creativity are gender neutral. These five picture books explore those established gender rules with humor and heart and great stories!
It’s a simple, heartful story that introduces young readers to ideas of gender as well as the breaking of gender norms.
Errol's teddy, Thomas, is his best friend. One day, Thomas tells Errol he wants to change his name. Of course, whether Tilly is a boy or a girl, Errol knows they're his best friend.
Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything together. Whether it's riding a bike, playing in the tree house, having a tea party or all of the above, every day holds something fun to do together.
One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas the Teddy is sad, and Errol can't figure out why. Then Thomas the Teddy finally tells Errol what Teddy has been afraid to say: 'In my heart, I've always known that I'm a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly.' And Errol says, 'I don't care if you're a…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
When I was growing up, I played everything my older brother, Joe, played. Including all the “boy” games. So they called me a “tomboy” and teased me. I wish my library had had books that showed how fun, play, games, pets, colors, kites... are not “for boys only” or “for girls only.” They would have made me feel better and, hopefully, opened the door to some interesting discussion of how imagination and creativity are gender neutral. These five picture books explore those established gender rules with humor and heart and great stories!
What’s more, along with being written in both English and Spanish together, One of a Kind Like Me / Unico Como Yo features a Hispanic family supporting their child’s desire to bust gender boundaries when choosing a costume for the school parade.
What I love most, the child’s choice of costume is not the problem; finding the items to create the costume Danny envisions is a welcome challenge.
Tomorrow is the school parade, and Danny knows exactly what he will be: a princess. Mommy supports him 100%, and they race to the thrift store to find his costume. It's almost closing time - will Danny find the costume of his dreams in time? One of A Kind, Like Me / Único como yo is a sweet story about unconditional love and the beauty of individuality. It's a unique book that lifts up children who don't fit gender stereotypes, and reflects the power of a loving and supportive community.
When I was growing up, I played everything my older brother, Joe, played. Including all the “boy” games. So they called me a “tomboy” and teased me. I wish my library had had books that showed how fun, play, games, pets, colors, kites... are not “for boys only” or “for girls only.” They would have made me feel better and, hopefully, opened the door to some interesting discussion of how imagination and creativity are gender neutral. These five picture books explore those established gender rules with humor and heart and great stories!
I love bugs, baseball, and playing in the mud, and was often teased or called a “tomboy” because of it. How I wish the adults in my life had had a book like Jack (Not Jackie).
A big sister realizes that her little “sister” doesn't like dresses or fairies—but likes ties, bugs, and the name Jack. This book takes the concepts of gender expression and makes them simple to understand from a youngster's point of view—this can be a great book to kick off discussion!
In this heartwarming picture book, a big sister realizes that her little sister, Jackie, doesn't like dresses or fairies-she likes ties and bugs! Will she and her family be able to accept that Jackie identifies more as "Jack"?
Susan thinks her little sister Jackie has the best giggle! She can't wait for Jackie to get older so they can do all sorts of things like play forest fairies and be explorers together. But as Jackie grows, she doesn't want to play those games. She wants to play with mud and be a super bug! Jackie also doesn't like dresses or…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
When I was growing up, I played everything my older brother, Joe, played. Including all the “boy” games. So they called me a “tomboy” and teased me. I wish my library had had books that showed how fun, play, games, pets, colors, kites... are not “for boys only” or “for girls only.” They would have made me feel better and, hopefully, opened the door to some interesting discussion of how imagination and creativity are gender neutral. These five picture books explore those established gender rules with humor and heart and great stories!
I love Neither, an adorable, earnest, little blue bird who is trying so hard to be a bunny in the Land of This and That, where all the bunnies are blue and all the birds are yellow.
I know exactly how Neither feels, and so will the children with whom you share this charming book.
This book is about celebrating and accepting differences, and don’t we need more of that!
In this touching story that celebrates the differences in all of us, a little creature that's not quite a bird and not quite a bunny--it's "neither"--searches for a place to fit in.
In the Land of This and That, there are only two kinds: blue bunnies and yellow birds. But one day a funny green egg hatches, and a little creature that's not quite a bird and not quite a bunny pops out. It's neither!
Neither tries hard to fit in, but its bird legs aren't good for jumping like the other bunnies, and its fluffy tail isn't good for…
Most of my published titles are about animals or involve them in some fashion. My Cats in the Mirror alien rescue cat series has been winning awards for a decade, and the two dog companion books have won the hearts of middle-grade readers, with a third companion book due out in 2026. Even my science fiction books for adults are about half-tiger/half-human creatures. Cats are definitely my favorite, but give me a book about a cute animal, and I’m happy.
Pooh Bear and his friends have been favorites since I was old enough to hold a book. A. A. Milne’s poetry is wonderful, but when Pooh and Piglet come on the scene, there’s a special magic. Clinically depressed Eeyore and bossy Rabbit and motherly Kanga entertained me long after I was technically the right age for reading their stories.
I love this collection because it includes so many favorites and really takes you on a journey through the charming world of the Hundred Acre Wood.
This exquisite, deluxe edition contains the complete illustrated texts of both Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. In full-color and featuring a satin ribbon marker, it is the perfect gift and a cornerstone of every family's bookshelf.
Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends-Piglet, Owl, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, and the ever doleful Eeyore-have endured as the unforgettable creations of A. A. Milne, who wrote two books of Pooh's adventures for his son, Christopher Robin, and Ernest H. Shepard, who lovingly gave them shape through his iconic and beautiful illustrations.
These characters and their stories are timeless treasures of childhood that…
I am a child of God, an heir to the throne through Jesus Christ, and a living testimony to the great I Am. I have 4 children who keep me young. I have been with my spouse for 20 years (married for 10). I run a Facebook page called “Jesus Loves All of Us,” where I share daily devotionals. I opened a publishing company called Stewardship Press a few years ago, which is linked to this page. I have written over 20 books, journals, coloring books, and devotionals, most of which are Christ-centered. The others that do not have Christian content are still morally and ethically upstanding secular content.
When Max Lucado writes–I listen! He's a dream to read, and his books are always full of wisdom and advice. When I saw this children's book by him, I knew I had to get it for my kids, and I was not disappointed.
The lessons are profound, my kids are engaged, and his writing is, as always, on point. You find God on every page, and the truth of the Gospel of Grace abounds. I couldn't recommend this any more highly than I do here. I'm happy that it is a part of my children's book repertoire.
Follow the young Wemmick Punchinello as he discovers the source of his worth-his Creator. This beautifully illustrated tale communicates to children that God loves them regardless of how the world evaluates them. The first in Max Lucado's Wemmicks series.
I continue to find hope as a constant theme in my talks and my various media appearances. Hope is so integral to being able to fight for another day. When we can plant the seed of hope and perseverance in kids from a young age, by giving the gift of books that show them the true meaning of hope and aspirations, we give them a gift that carries them well through life.
This book was originally published in 1930 and also goes back a long way in my own life as well. I have fond memories of my father reading this story to me when I was young, acting out all the parts of the story, using different voices, and more. Despite being little and unassuming, the Little Blue Engine uses hope and belief to get over the mountain. Without belief in ourselves we often can’t even begin to try, but the Little Blue Engine chose to trust in himself and it paid off - big time. We can all use a little more belief in our own abilities to create massive change in our lives.
One of the true classics in children's books is now available in a sturdy board book edition perfect for little hands! The story has been slightly abridged and features the famous illustrations from the original Hauman edition. Now toddlers can cheer on the little blue engine and that "can-do" attitude that keeps her chugging along!
I'm an award-winning, best-selling children’s author who writes about unexpected “wow” moments that stick with me. I look for books and articIes that take me on a deep journey into unknown environments. I aim for nonfiction that reads like a story with an emotional connection to new creatures with fascinating lifestyles. As a writer of dozens of books for children, I always learn much more that can go into each effort. Each book comes into a hazy focus after tons of research. The best “wow” details get woven into an incredible story full of surprise, joy, and admiration for those struggling to survive on our changing plant.
This book is about Jane Goodall, famous chimp researcher and United Nations Messenger of Peace. As a child, she shared her backyard “magical world of nature” with her stuffed chimp named Jubilee. The book Tarzan of the Apes expanded her passion into dreams of going to Africa to study animals. “Wow!” She did it, and her stick-to-it observations led to the discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools. As she protects wildlife she also helps people in wild places to get better food, water, and education. Her concerns for all creatures have inspired children around the world to take some action toward a better planet.
In his characteristic heartwarming and minimalistic style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of a young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of 'a life living with and helping all animals,' until one day she finds that her dream has come true.
One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to…
I saw my first Godzilla movie when I was seven years old, and I immediately fell in love: what kid doesn’t want to be a giant radioactive monster with attitude? But unlike baseball cards, I never outgrew Godzilla and, over the decades, came to appreciate the cultural significance of one of the world’s most enduring film icons. In my writing on Godzilla, I explore my own fascination with monsters and contemplate why all societies, from the dawn of time to today, have compulsively created imaginary creatures that terrify them. The books on this list have helped me understand the human obsession with monsters, and I hope you will find them equally enlightening and enjoyable.
Who cannot love a serious but accessible book that obsesses about things like Pokémon, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Tamagotchi (those annoying and addictive “digital pets” that were a millennial fad)?
Anne Allison’s volume was a real eye-opener for me on the place of monsters in youth culture, as a form of play, and how monsters have been commercialized and globalized over the past half century. It is incredible that, in the early twenty-first century, American kids were more likely to embrace Pikachu and Godzilla than the archetypal monsters of Western culture like Dracula and Frankenstein. Allison helped me understand why Japanese monsters are now conquering the globe.
From sushi and karaoke to martial arts and technoware, the currency of made-in-Japan cultural goods has skyrocketed in the global marketplace during the past decade. The globalization of Japanese "cool" is led by youth products: video games, manga (comic books), anime (animation), and cute characters that have fostered kid crazes from Hong Kong to Canada. Examining the crossover traffic between Japan and the United States, Millennial Monsters explores the global popularity of Japanese youth goods today while it questions the make-up of the fantasies and the capitalistic conditions of the play involved. Arguing that part of the appeal of such…
I grew up camping and hiking, and spent my career teaching others about nature. I feel my best in the outdoors. Nature connections thread through my stories, to the point my kids joke my heroines are all geeky me. Well, true…or the geek I wish I was: one with secret magic to protect our earth. Folks know nature needs help, but my volunteer group still runs into roadblocks putting in native plant gardens. While I—and my characters—fight for protecting wild spaces, I appreciate that everyone’s fight is different and my keeper stories are those with determined characters—IRL or on the page—who turn the tables to succeed.
An orphan with no home or money of her own, Katharine is her aunt’s pawn, sent to do all her dirty work. As the story opens in 1852, it’s to undertake the unthinkable—have her child-like Uncle Tulman committed to an asylum. While this novel doesn’t employ ‘magic’, I love Victorian-era stories and this one had numerous intriguing threads: Katharine’s innocent, geniusuncle created fantastical mechanical inventions, many characters to root for who didn’t quite ‘fit’ the society’s norms, and a maze of a house with mysterious, suspicious happenings. I could see no way for poor Katharine to save her uncle and his protective community, so the story twists thrilled me.
From the award-winning author of Rook comes a delicious and twisty tale, filled with spine-tingling intrigue, juicy romance, and dangerous family secrets.
When a rumor that her uncle is squandering away the family fortune surfaces, Katharine Tulman is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of childlike rules, who is employing a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine becomes torn between protecting her own livelihood and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply…
