Ruby in the Ruins

Shirley Hughes is one of the most profoundly English of all picture book author/illustrators.  Her historical books are like time capsules on paper, exquisitely capturing mood and setting as ordinary British people in extraordinary circumstances go about their lives.  Here, young Ruby waits for her father to return from the war, meanwhile amusing herself by joining some neighborhood boys in exploring the cityscape of bombed-out London.

 

This is a sensitive look at the aftermath of war.  Even when family members return safely from the fighting, there are still adjustments and accommodations that must be made.