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Welcome to the Web site of Canadian children's illustrator, Ruth Ohi. Ruth has illustrated over 40 picture books and novels, and has written several of her own, such as And You Can Come Too (Annick Press), Pants Off First (Fitzhenry & Whiteside), Me and My Sister(Annick Press), and Me and My Brother (Annick Press).

Click on covers below for more info.

Booklist:
"...Great for family sharing; its warm, honest words and pictures will show young children that books can be about them."

City Parent:
"...paints a pleasant picture of family life that will give praent and child a starting point for talking about the rhythm of their own days..."

Canadian Materials:
"Me and My Brother will be an excellent storytime addition in nursery and kindergartens. It will also delight many toddlers on their parents' laps at home." (Highly Recommended)

Globe and Mail:
"The tricky, often tearful business of separating small children from their parents for that first overnight away from home is the subject here. It's hard to think of a more delightful account of this significant childhood moment than this one..."

Quill & Quire:
"...A great read-aloud book for any occasion."

Today's Parent:
" ...Grandma's gentle wisdom and sly suggestions help Sprout discover the brave adventurer inside himself. Charming illustrations celebrate Sprout's sweet emancipation."

* Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award 2007 finalist *

Canadian Materials Review:
"Celebrating the power of inventive play, Ruth Ohi has created a story of two young brothers transforming their very ordinary couch into an imaginary playground...'The Couch was a Castle' will delight..."

A couch can be anything with a little imagination. For Burt and his brother, the couch is never boring. Through the power of pretending, the boys ride it like cowboys, steer it through stormy seas as pirates, and even stage a sofa circus. But when couch-bound theatrics end in tears, it's up to Burt to rescue the day.

* Blue Spruce Nominee 2007 *

Today's Parent Magazine:
"Clara loves triangles, tuna and the colour purple. She also loves the idea of her new best friend, Madison, until she finds herself swapping triangles for stars, tuna for ham, and purple for yellow...because Madison said so. At first intimidated by Madison's bossiness, Clara soon realizes that the only way to be happy is to be herself. Ohi's warm illustrative style invites readers to share Clara's victory."

Running away is a lot more fun when you let your family come too. Sara's quiet Saturday with her little sister Annie ends with a bout of sibling bickering. When Daddy intervenes with some firm words, Sara crossly announces she's running away... and Annie can come too.

Booklist:
"No rough edges and lots of reassurance...humor and comfort of the story comes from the way Dad aids and abets. "

CCBC Our Choice Award

Booklist:
"Satisfying picture book... empathetic artwork... short and ultimately sweet, but not too sweet."

Globe and Mail:
"...Me and My Sister speaks volumes in very few words about sibling relationships - the ambivalent part. In 30 words, some of them rhyming, the elder sister, who might be about 4, lays it all out, ably assisted by Ruth Ohi's expressive watercolours."

A book for adults and children to read together, "Bottled Sunshine" is a subtle and moving story about loss and the lasting comfort of memories.

School Library Journal:
"This gentle, heartfelt account is an age-appropriate treatment of loss and death. The soft hues of the illustrations are well matched to the tone of the story, making this a lovely addition for any collection."

Blue Spruce Nominee 2005

CCBC Our Choice Award

Book Review Digest NY,NY:
"Ohi's illustrations are an essential story component, as essential to its realization as a melody is to a song lyric...Guided by Hutchins' encouraging questions and reassuring text, children will delight in the wonderful world captured by Ohi's feast-for-the-eyes illustrations..."


For a full bibliography of Ruth's books, please click here.

Copyright © 2006 Ruth Ohi. Please do not use material without permission.
Base URL: http://www.ruthohi.com/