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Growing up in New England, I have many childhood memories that involve playing outside in the snow. While I may never have been really great at the snowman building, I did have a whole lot of fun trying to make igloos with my plastic snow brick maker. Looking out on my backyard suddenly transformed overnight into one huge snowy canvas always brought a magical feeling. For adults, though, snowfalls often translate into headaches in the form of crazy traffic, power outages, and inconveniences. Too bad that we often miss out on that joyful reaction to the snow that children instantly experience. For parents of young children, perhaps sharing Masha D’yans gorgeous new interactive picture book Razzle-Dazzle Ruby will help the magic come alive again.
Now, it’s not every day that a new book gets an endorsement from Eric Carle on the back cover, but Razzle-Dazzle Ruby receives this incredible honor, and it’s one that is well-deserved. When Ruby awakens to a snow-filled outdoors, her imagination immediately jumps into action. With her scruffy puppy pal Rocket by her side, she’s ready for an adventure that sees her as a snow queen and Rocket as her “knight in barking armor.” Soon enough, she meets up with a friend who shares in her skating, snow angel-making, and sledding fun. By the end of the day, Ruby is ready to head home, but she’s already got plans brewing for the next day’s play!
Ruby definitely lives up to her Razzle-Dazzle name, both in spirit and in appearance, with her stripey tights, fluffy winter coat, and brightly colored scarf and hat. Throughout the book, children can share in the Razzle-Dazzle as well, for each page includes a special pull-tab, rotating wheel or pop-up feature that only heightens the magic. Want to see the book in action for yourself? Check it out:
Would you like to win a copy of Razzle-Dazzle Ruby and bring the magic of a snowy day’s adventure to a child in your life? Two lucky winners will receive a copy of the book, along with a $25 Visa Cash Card and a pair of red and white striped tights! Please leave a comment here to be entered– we’d love to hear about your own childhood snowy adventures! (US mailing addresses only, please.) Winners will be announced here on 11/21.
The winners of Running Away to Home are #14 Tami M. and #15 Idaho Jill and #31 ibeeeg (#4 from the extra entry at 5M4B).
5 Minutes for Books staff reviewer Dawn splits her time teaching preschool, parenting three wacky kids and occasionally blogging at my thoughts exactly.
bearings interchange says
I’m browsing your site through Google Chrome and not all of the text is displaying right. Were you aware about this?
bonsai tree says
Do you know your site is recommended by a number of other blogs? Nice stuff. Thank you very much!
Angela E. says
Sound really good to me, please enter me also……..Thank-you
Jaimie K says
Enter me please! My girls would love this!
When I was young we used to tie a large piece of this plastic behind the truck and drive around. It was a jumbled, fun mess as we each tried to be “king of the tarp.”
Tamara Bennington says
I couldn’t wait for the first snow then I would run out fall to the ground giggling and move my arms and leggs to make a snow angel.
Jan says
I have a wonderful memory of a Christmas when there was NO snow–and then about a foot fell on Christmas Eve after my brothers and I went to bed. AND there were beautiful sleds under the tree for us…lovely.
Megan Earley says
I remember going sledding with my sister at the beach when the sand dunes were covered in snow! What fun!
mearley1979 at gmail dot com
april yedinak says
My best snowy day memories as a child are about sledding at my grandparent’s house (they had a really long and steep hill) until we were giddy with exhaustion and then running inside to huddle in front of the wood stove, drinking hot cocoa and watching holiday movies.
ape2016(at)aol(dot)com
MayMay says
My sisters love to read and she would love to recieve this present on christmas . Happy Holidays
zmansmamma says
getting together the neighborhood kids and sledding down our neighborhood sidewalk over and over again until it was icy and then sledding some more
ACMommy3 says
I grew up living in many places (father was a Marine), and when we did live in snowy areas, I loved to make snow angels and sledding! And just watching the beautiful snowflakes drifting down. But I hated arriving at school in my snowgear and trying to pull off my snowsuit and boots in the hallway without falling down. 😀 creedamy [at] yahoo[dot] com
Kelsie Rae says
what a cute book! i would love to win!
dollimama says
I would love to win this for my girls. We live in South Texas and they have never seen snow!
Kelly D says
My brother and I used to love to have snowball fights and build igloos in the snow.
natalia says
I didi not grow in the snow, my first time was last year and it was so much fun for me and the kids!
Gretchen Gerth says
I walked 8 miles to school uphill both ways in 10 feet of snow….
or…we had the biggest backyard in the neighborhood so everyone came to our house and we built forts and had snowball fights.
nan says
i remember getting snowed in at my friends house for an extra day and thinking it was the best
nannypanpan at gmail.com
lisa says
making snowmen and having snowball fights 🙂
Missy says
I loved making a snowman with my brother.
Liz says
My daughter was just talking about all of the snow we had 2 years ago as I drove her (in snow flurries) to school this morning. I would love to win this for her!
Melissa N. says
I’m from east Texas, so we don’t really get snow, but I do remember my senior year of highschool it snowed, adn shut down our one interseciont town – we were without power for 3 days! *lol*
Tami M says
Well, growing up in South Dakota …we had some seriously SNOWY adventures! Ha! My favorite was the huge, undeveloped, perfect-for-sledding hill behind our house. Best times were by moonlight, with large, chunky new flakes drifting slowly down. It transported you … very magical!
My daughter is finally old enough to enjoy and take good care of such a special pop up book! We’d love this.
Thanks!
LT says
I remember trying to dig a tunnel in the snow drifts that would form off our back porch!
Mona says
As an Airforce Brat… we were stationed in New Jersey when I was a teen, and then I lived in Chicago after I married for a winter … Oh boy did we have Snow days. I live in Alabama now and and we rarely have a lot of snow. I’m always telling my 4 yr old Grand Daughter about “lots” of snow … I’d love to read her this book … thanks for the Giveaway.
HappyMomC says
We loved playing in the snow and throwing snowballs on each other! Thanks for the giveaway!
Staci A says
We would love to read this! When we were little, my parents would take us sledding in the dark. We’d use the truck headlights and flashlights to see. It was so fun and exciting (even if it probably wasn’t the safest)!
Nancye Davis says
My daughter would LOVE this book! She loves playing in the snow just like I did when I was little. My brothers and I would build these really cool igloos out of the snow that was piled up after shoveling the driveaway. We had SOOO much fun! We’d stay out until my mom would make up come inside. That wasn’t so bad becuase she would always have hot chocolate waiting for us. Good times! 🙂
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Honey Mommy says
This would be great for my baby girl! I bet my boys would enjoy it as well (but not the tights). Thanks!
Suzanne (Crunchy Green Mom) says
I grew up in Texas so snowy adventures NEVER happened. But one Christmas we went to East Aurora, New York to see my Gma and Gpa, that is where I first learned about Yelling and snow on the roof. Well.. I learned because my brother yelled at me and it jarred a large snow pile off the roof onto head. Vengeance was sweet that day!!
Tina M says
I don’t remember my first time seeing snow.
Dawn says
You’ve been randomly selected as one of our winners! Please send me your mailing information to morninglightmama (at) gmail (dot) com.
Thanks!
Margaret says
My daughter would love this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
Margaret
[email protected]
Kathy Stevenson says
The only thing I liked about snow was no school! Even as a child I didn’t like to be cold!!
mrsshukra says
My niece would absolutely love this!
mrsshukra says
Didn’t grow up with snow!
Dawn says
Hi! Your niece will be happy, because you’ve been randomly selected as one of our winners! Please send me your mailing information to morninglightmama (at) gmail (dot) com.
Thanks!
Sonia L. says
I remember being gone for hours and sledding with friends in NJ.
Erin says
Whenever it would snow here (in Illinois) everyone I knew would head to this giant sledding hill. We even formed a club! It was so much fun!
Ellen C. says
I used to love going out and making forts. Thanks for the chance.
Beth says
Eric Carle endorsed it? It must be good!
Amy {A Faithful Journey} says
This sounds exactly like something my daughter would love! Thanks for the chance to win!
Ruthie B says
I was born & raised in Pennsylvania so winters & snow always came together! I went to a neighborhood elementary school where we were able to ice-skate on the frozen pond next to the school for our recess every day during winter…very exciting!
Linda Kish says
This looks like a very cute book.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Liz says
Plastic snow brick maker–how wonderful.
My adventures in snowland seem to me to have been few and far between and consisted of tobogganing and other sledding, but I did have ice skating lessons (w/o snow).
Cindi says
What a darling prize package! I am over 50 and remember my childhood fun
in the snow like it was yesterday! Snow ice cream was a family tradition,
snow forts, snowball fights, snow angels and walking in sparkly, freshly-fallen
snow…I would love to win this prize for my great-niece…
Many thanks to you!
Cindi
Tammy Gordon says
Loved days off from school when I was little……even out for a blizzard once! 🙂
Would love to win this!
Beth C says
We have a cat named Ruby. My granddaughter would think book would be great!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Carolyn says
Oh my daughter would love this! I grew up outside Boston – so we always had snow! I remember sledding down the street after a blizzard and building snow forts with my brother.
June says
I do not not a little snow in moderation, but last February , 1st we had a snowfall here in Illinois that totaled 15 inches of snow in 1 night! Hoping for a milder winter this year. ( I hope )
Elisabeth says
I grew up in Georgia so there wasn’t usually snow. However one Thanksgiving we visited family in New York and it was snowing, our cousins thought me and my brothers were crazy because we were so excited! 🙂
rica berg says
Would love a copy!
Jessie C. says
DDs would love this book. First time I experienced snowy days was around eight and thought it was the prettiest day and magical.
Mami2jcn says
I grew up in New Jersey and always got so excited about snow days and not having to go to school.
Jenn says
I remember going to the big hill behind the elementary school and sledding with my cousins. It was great fun!
Katrina says
I grew up in Florida so I always loved visiting snow..it was magical.
Kristin says
My girls would love this! With a December birthday, I remember always playing in the snow on my birthday!