Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 15, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 18))
In Ruby Bakes a Cake (2004), the little raccoon asks her animal friends for advice. This time she is painting a picture of a tree, and her friends--Fiona Fox, Bunny Rabbit, and Dan Duck--come by and ask her to include them in the picture. Each one in turn is dissatisfied with her portrait; they all say she left out their very best parts. Ruby begs to differ. She shows them that she did paint the best in them--their smiling faces all together. Moore's expressive pictures show characters that are both animal and human as they scowl and smile in the woodland setting. The friendship fun in this I Can Read! book is just right for beginning readers. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2005, HarperCollins, $15.99, $16.89. PreS-K. ( )