RUTHIE will be In Stores Everywhere March 2026!
“Ruthie is a prince (a dog) who has it all: a bone, a fish, and a piece of cake he’s been saving for three years. He lives in a castle (a house), is beloved by his queen (his owner), and enjoys beauty-naps, butterberry pancakes and staying squeaky clean with a daily bubble bath. But still, Ruthie longs to explore beyond the castle walls.
When a chance to escape presents itself, Ruthie soon finds exploring isn't all it's cracked up to be. He is cold, hungry and worst of all: STINKY! Ruthie's royal subjects (forest animals) do their best to help, but nothing is as perfect as it was in his castle and, worst of all, he misses his queen. Will Ruthie ever be able to find his way home? And will he be able to make some friends along the way?”
WOOFS FOR RUTHIE
"Shapiro returns to an earlier work and adds a joyful companion volume that fills in the missing pieces, resulting in a more complex and emotionally insightful whole ... This winning, humorous title will delight on its own and even more so when paired with its predecessor."
-School Library Journal
"This companion picture book to Ooko glimmers as a standalone, and pet owners young and old will cheer for this dramatic, silly dog as he basks in the glory of freedom and relishes the meaning of home ... playful compositions with velvety, matted textures of gouache and watercolor, accompanied by whimsical colored-pencil details, add richness to Ruthie’s new experience in the forest, and the hilarious wordplay and speech bubbles bring to life the forest animals who teach Ruthie to humble himself and make meaningful bonds."
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"[A] celebration of authenticity and friendship not to be passed up ... An eccentric royal adventure that will leave youngsters smiling."
-Kirkus
"Shapiro's whimsical multimedia illustrations enhance the heart of the story, making this a good addition to large picture-book collections."
-Booklist
“This precious picture book is what dreams are made of! If I could jump into these whimsical pages and journey with Prince Ruthie and friends, I would in a heartbeat.”
—Amali Gordon-Buxbaum, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY
"Ruthie is the weirdest dog I have met in a while, but wow, do I adore him ... Esmé Shapiro’s wonderfully zany text and illustrations are sure to make kids laugh and fall in love with sweet, imaginative Ruthie. Readers might even decide to build a statue in his likeness."
-LITERARY HUB
"It’s impossible to mistake a book by Esmé Shapiro with the work of any other artist. Her odd, rounded, comically proportioned figures, their quirky thoughts put into the perfect words, as well as the underlying premise of Shapiro’s universe, are all there. Life is strange, funny, poignant, and always suitable to be made into art."
-IMAGINARY ELEVATORS