Ruffles and the New Green Thing

by David Melling, David Melling (Illustrator)

Overview

Laugh with Ruffles as he faces all the troubles of toddler life in this brightly colored picture book series.

There’s a new green thing in Ruffles’s bowl, and he does not want to try even the smallest nibble. When his friend Ralph comes to play, he spots the new green thing and happily takes a big bite. If Ralph can try the new green thing, then so can Ruffles. He quickly discovers that broccoli—the new green thing—is, in fact, delicious! The perfect story to encourage picky eaters to try new foods.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536229820
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Series:	Ruffles
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	698,026
Product dimensions:	9.13(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.41(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

David Melling grew up in London with various siblings and a selection of animals, including a dog. It took him a while to decide what he wanted to do, but he never stopped drawing. He worked in animation before he began illustrating children’s books. His work includes Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens; Ruffles and the Red, Red Coat; the Hugless Douglas series; and The Kiss That Missed, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. The creator of around 150 books in over thirty languages, David Melling lives in Oxfordshire, England, with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

Melling’s third outing with this expressive, inquisitive puppy is delightful; neatly outlined sequential pencil vignettes of Ruffles poking at the broccoli cleverly bring to life his consternation. Youngsters reluctant to eat their veggies may identify, but they will absolutely appreciate Ruffles and Ralph’s adorable antics. . . . Perfect for picky eaters and puppy lovers.
—Kirkus Reviews

Toddlers who are skeptical of strange foods will find validation in the form of a small patch-eyed dog named Ruffles, whom David Melling introduced to the world in 'Ruffles and the Red, Red Coat' (2021). 'Ruffles and the New Green Thing' finds the inquisitive and rambunctious pup rather daunted by the appearance of a stalk of broccoli in his dog bowl. . . . Mr. Melling’s expressive, unadorned pictures show Ruffles’s uneasiness and his thrilled relief when his Dalmatian friend Ralph comes to play. Whatever our hero’s hero likes to do, our hero also wants to do. It takes the visiting pup but one bite of the new green thing to show Ruffles that he can try it too. And what do you know? In no time ‘the new green thing is all gone.’ This understanding little book would be a good one to encourage the finicky to brave the unfamiliar.
—The Wall Street Journal

Ruffles – author/illustrator David Melling’s button-nosed pup with a wonderfully expressive face – returns for a new adventure with a mysterious green vegetable lurking in his food bowl, perfect for young people who might also be facing a bit of new-food panic.
—The Virginian Pilot

From the Publisher

2023-03-14
WHAT can that green thing be?

Ruffles, a white puppy with a dark circle around one eye, has survived the red sweater and a herd of affectionate kittens, but he is completely mystified by the green thing in his food dish. Now, there’s plenty that Ruffles loves. (Melling enumerates the little pooch’s many passions, from howling, eating, and fetching to chewing, running, and sleeping.) But the bumpy, new green object in his dish (which many readers will recognize as broccoli)? No, he does not like it! Ralph, a Dalmatian pal whom Ruffles very much admires, visits. (Another page lists the things Ruffles and Ralph enjoy doing together.) Ralph takes one look at the green thing and…takes a huge bite! “If Ralph can try the new green thing…then Ruffles can, too!” So Ruffles “nibbles…and gnaws…and chews” (a slew of other synonyms ensues) the green thing. And what is it? “Delicious!” Amending the list of things he loves, Ruffles adds Ralph (of course) and “new things” (except for the strange orange object now in his bowl). Melling’s third outing with this expressive, inquisitive puppy is delightful; neatly outlined sequential pencil vignettes of Ruffles poking at the broccoli cleverly bring to life his consternation. Youngsters reluctant to eat their veggies may identify, but they will absolutely appreciate Ruffles and Ralph’s adorable antics. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Perfect for picky eaters and puppy lovers. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews