Liukas, Linda. Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding. Feiwel and Friends, and imprint of Macmillan.$16.99. ISBN 9781250065001. 111 pages. Ages 4-7. P7 Q8
Ruby is a young girl with a peculiar imagination and a literal interpretation of the world. Her adventure begins when her father leaves her a problem to solve while he’s at work for the day. In order to solve the one big problem left by her father, she knows she has to break it up into smaller problems that are easier to solve. This method is evocative of coding. Over the course of Ruby’s adventure, she meets different creatures who represent the most common programming languages and their unique characteristics. The utility of this book lies in its description, with friendly illustrations, of how to talk to computers and the importance of step-by-step instruction. In the back of the book, there are many pages of activities based on the characters Ruby meets on her adventure. The activities introduce key elements of programming. We learn about data structures, pattern recognition, loops, functions, and debugging. At the very back of the book is a useful glossary.
September 2016 review by Lillian Curanzy.
