"Hello Ruby is half picture book and half activity book rolled into one adorable package. It introduces programming without requiring a computer at all. The point of the book isn’t to teach you a programming language, but programming concepts." --GeekMom.com

Meet Ruby―a small girl with a huge imagination, and the determination to solve any puzzle. As Ruby stomps around her world making new friends, including the Wise Snow Leopard, the Friendly Foxes, and the Messy Robots, kids will be introduced to the fundamentals of computational thinking, like how to break big problems into small ones, create step-by-step plans, look for patterns and think outside the box through storytelling. Then, these basic concepts at the core of coding and programming will be reinforced through fun playful exercises and activities that encourage exploration and creativity.

In Ruby's world anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

What is this book all about?
An Introduction for Parents
The idea for Hello Ruby was born in 2009, when I myself was learning to program. Whenever I ran into a problem, I would ask myself how a small, fierce girl would tackle it. But it took until the fall of 2013 for me to decide to be a children’s book author. Since then, understanding technology through play and imagination and creation has become my passion.

We all have stories that shape the way we see the world as adults. Like invisible friends, our childhood stories stay with us and influence our tastes for years to come. I think we need more of these voices and stories that are able to reveal the playful side of code.

Play is at the core of learning. Coding is like crayons or LEGO blocks—a way to express yourself. This book is not about 'learning to code'. It doesn’t teach any specific programming languages, but introduces the fundamentals of computational thinking that every future kid coder will need.

Kids will learn how to break big problems into small problems, look for patterns, create step-by-step plans, and think outside the box. With activities included for every chapter, future kid coders will be thrilled to put their own imaginations to work.

Each chapter is a small story in Ruby’s world, nine small lessons in computational thinking.

This book is designed to be worked on together with a parent. You can start by reading the entire story, or focus on one chapter at a time. Each chapter has a set of exercises that build on the concepts of play and creativity. Spend time playing and replaying the exercises. It’s normal and okay to make mistakes and to look at the same problem in different ways. That’s all part of computational thinking.

Toolboxes give additional information for parents and list concepts that are linked to the topic discussed. All concepts can be found in the glossary. You can also find suggested answers in the answer key at helloruby.com. There, you’ll also find more play activities and fun things to do, and you can see what other kids have created all around the world!

“Writing software is about expression, creativity, and practical application. Our kids should learn to bend, join, break and combine code in a way it wasn't designed to. Just as they would with crayons and paper or wood and tools. I believe there's plenty to learn in programming logic and culture before showing children a single screen.” ―Linda Liukas author of Hello Ruby

“Hello Ruby is way more than a children's book.” ―Fast Company

“Getting girls into programming, one children's book at a time.” ―TechCrunch

"Hello Ruby by Linda Liukas is half picture book and half activity book rolled into one adorable package. What I love about it is that it introduces programming without requiring a computer at all. The point of the book isn’t to teach you a programming language, but programming concepts." --GeekMom.com