From Artist To Author

Artist and creator Ruby Purple has a new string to her bow – children’s book author. Speaking to the Sandgate Guide, Ruby said releasing a children’s book, Rue the Curious Emu, was a dream come true.

“It’s about a little emu named Rue, who’s venturing out into the world for the first time, with a message about looking after the environment,” she said.

“I spent so much time in the outback, so the inspiration was there. And actually, writing it was the easy part, it was putting it all together for publishing which was much harder.”

The book is aimed at readers aged around seven or eight, although Ruby said she had heard of older teenagers reading it to their younger siblings.

“They’re really enjoying it too, so it’s across the board,” she said.

“We don’t often find time these days to sit down with a book, so it’s very rewarding to hear that people are liking it.”

The book’s message about caring for the environment is something that is close to Ruby’s heart.

“I think kids today are certainly a lot more aware than I was at that age, I didn’t really have any idea about the broader picture,” Ruby said.

“ But I think kids today don’t have much choice about it. They are concerned about the world, and in this book, I wanted to highlight some concerns about animals that might be getting lost – our national treasures.”

Ruby said it was “absolutely so exciting” to be able to add author to her biography.

“It’s one of those things I had on my dream list, or my vision board and I never really thought it would be something I could tick off the list,” she said.

“It’s also about leaving a legacy for my family.

“There’s a copy in the National Library in Canberra, the Queensland State Library, and the Parliamentary Library – so those will be there forever, and I think that’s pretty cool!”

Rue the Curious Emu is available on Amazon, and Ruby also has some high-quality signed editions available on her website: www.rubypurplecreations.com