Wells (McDuff Goes to School, below, etc.) must have a secret key not only to the heart of toddlerhood but to the very core of sibling relationships, as she proves once again in her latest Ruby and Max adventure. Older sister Ruby, with her usual imperturbable and implacable direction, has planned a birthday party for Grandma. She’s invited all of her dolls and stuffed toys, as well as herself and little brother Max. Max isn’t pleased, because there’s no room at the table for his Jellyball Shooter Spider, his Ear-Splitter Space Cadet, or his Can’t-Sit-Up Slug. So while Ruby lays out the treats, Max does subterfuge: disguising each toy and leading Ruby to believe she is having a bad counting day. Max gets all three of his toys in place just in time for Grandma’s arrival, and she is of course delighted by the “three uninvited guests.” The mixed-media illustrations are full of panache, from the multicolored numbers that dance above the characters’ heads to the precise renderings of kid emotions on those little bunny faces. Max’s simper with the Space Cadet and Ruby’s discomfiture at the sitting Slug are particularly fine. A party not to be missed. (Picture book. 3-8)
