Rubin, Vicky 1964–

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Rubin, Vicky 1964–

Personal

Born 1964, in NJ. Education: Barnard College, bachelor's degree; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.A. (art education).

Addresses

Home—Brooklyn, NY. E-mail—[email protected]; [email protected].

Career

Author and illustrator of children's books. Formerly worked as a teacher, proofreader, and hand model.

Writings

Ralphie and the Swamp Baby, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2004.

The Three Swingin' Pigs, illustrated by Rhode Montijo, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

Vicky Rubin created the humorous and engaging illustrations for her first book for children, Ralphie and the Swamp Baby. This story about accepting a new sibling focuses on Ralphie, a young alligator who worries that his parents will have no time for him once their new egg hatches. Although he attempts to return the egg to the nest of a local stork, the young alligator winds up rescuing his potential sibling, learning an important lesson about the deep well of parental love in the process. In Publishers Weekly a critic described Ralphie and the Swamp Baby as a "perceptive tale about sibling rivalry" and cited Rubin's "chipper ink-and-watercolor" illustrations for adding to the story's "cozy" and reassuring mood.

A "jazzed-up version" of the well-known story of the Three Little Pigs, The Three Swingin' Pigs introduces Ella the scat singer, Satch the sax player, and Mo the bass player. These three porcine beboppers are headlining the Big Pig Gig when the villainous Wolfie shows up. While the sharp-toothed wolf hopes to make up for his inability to capture the pigs' three uncles, Satch, Mo, and Ella must convince him that their toe-tapping tunes are more tasty than they are. "Full of porker-inspired puns and clever repartee," The Three Swingin' Pigs is a "fast-paced tale [that] has definite appeal," wrote School Library Journal critic Maura Bresnahan, and in Kirkus Reviews a critic concluded that "Rubin's skit-scat-skedoodle words" transform her updated fairy tale into "a hand-clapping, foot-stomping romp."

Rubin's love of pairing text and illustration goes back to her childhood, when she was an avid artist, writer, and reader. As she explained to SATA, "I like to draw animal characters as stand-ins for humans because they have extra ways of expressing emotions, such as ears and tails. I feel that strong characters are the key to good stories. My first published works for children were humorous poems in Cricket and Spider magazines. I think magazines are a good way to get started in publishing and I continue to do work for magazines as well as books. I also enjoy doing author visits in schools."

Rubin works on new projects from her home in Brooklyn, New York. She has a multicultural background; her mother is from mainland China and her father is from the United States. She likes to travel and lived for a year in China. "I believe all people are creative," she maintained, "and they should pay attention to that part of themselves."