Tuba & Tuba — Laura Ljungkvist

Ruthie really wants a tuba for her birthday! Her family suggests wild animals as pets instead. Ruthie knows what she wants and it’s not a household mess from all these crazy ideas. She receives her beloved tuba at her birthday only to stumble upon a furry, purry, street animal in need of tender love and care... will this little kitten be as precious as Ruthie’s birthday tuba?Ruthie really wants an instrument for her birthday. Specifically, she wants a tuba that is just like her grandpa’s tuba. Her family suggests a pet instead. Ruthie does not like the idea of messy, time-consuming pets. Each family member suggests a wilder and wilder pet for Ruthie... parrots, penguins, giraffes, monkeys and even an octopus are potential birthday gifts. But this main character’s mind is set and will not be changed! And who would have guessed? Ruthie gets the gift she wanted for her birthday: the tuba! Yet, a tiny, dirty, purry surprise crosses Ruthie’s path on the way back home. Ruthie reluctantly grows to appreciate a kitten she aptly names Tuba. At the end of the book she realizes that, though she has and loves both her Tubas...only one loves her back. Tuba & Tuba begins as a simple tale of a family surprising a child for her birthday. The actual surprise is the love and appreciation received from a pet that our main character was always meant to have in her life!