Meet Ruby: The Little Girl Behind the Stories (Book 1 of a New Series!)

August 25, 2026

Meet Ruby: The Little Girl Behind Rusty & Ruby

Some stories come from imagination. Others begin with something much closer to home.

Rusty & Ruby: The Muddy Rescue is the first book in the Rusty & Ruby series, inspired by life at Ruby Roots Farm and by one very special little girl.

And before I tell you about Rusty, muddy tractors, farm animals and adventures, I should probably introduce you to the heart of these stories.

Who Is Ruby?

Ruby is four years old, with wild rhubarb-like hair, red rubber boots and a way of seeing the world that is entirely her own.

She notices things.

Little things.

A feather on the ground. A snail making its way through a puddle. A sound in the distance that everyone else missed. The way something feels, looks or changes when nobody else seems to notice.

Sometimes the world around Ruby can become very big, very loud and very busy. At those times, she may need a little more space, a little more time, or the comfort of something familiar.

She doesn't always have a lot to say.

But she is always taking things in.

And very often, the thing Ruby notices is exactly the thing everyone else needed to see.

That's simply who Ruby is.

The Real Little Girl Behind Ruby

Ruby isn't entirely imaginary.

She was inspired by my four-year-old granddaughter.

Her curiosity. Her sensitivity. Her incredible attention to things other people might overlook. The way she can become completely absorbed in something small and wonderful while the rest of the world carries on around her.

Those qualities became the beginning of Ruby.

I didn't want to write a character who needed to be explained. I wanted to write a little girl who could simply exist on the page exactly as she is — having adventures, solving problems, loving animals and occasionally getting herself and an old tractor into a bit of trouble.

Children don't need to be told what makes Ruby different in order to recognize something of themselves in her.

And perhaps that's one of the things I love most about her.

Book One: Rusty & Ruby: The Muddy Rescue

Ruby's best friend is Rusty, an old red tractor who doesn't mind taking his time.

When a shiny new tractor gets stuck in the mud and the farm suddenly becomes noisy and chaotic, Ruby stays close to Rusty.

While everyone else is focused on getting things moving again, Ruby does what Ruby does best.

She notices.

The Muddy Rescue is a gentle farm adventure about friendship, patience, helping others and discovering that being the fastest or the biggest isn't always what saves the day.

Sometimes the quietest person in the middle of all the commotion sees exactly what everyone else has missed.

And Now… Another Adventure Is Coming

The Muddy Rescue was only the beginning.

The second Rusty & Ruby adventure, The Tight Squeeze, arrives this week, bringing Ruby, Rusty and the animals of Ruby Roots Farm back for another story.

This time, a little white goat named Trixie wanders somewhere she shouldn't — and Ruby's ability to notice the smallest things may be exactly what brings her home.

At the heart of these books is a very simple idea:

Children don't all experience the world in the same way. They don't need to.

Sometimes the child who stops when everyone else keeps going isn't falling behind.

Maybe they've noticed something worth stopping for.

🌿 Welcome to Ruby Roots Farm.
There are many more adventures to come.