https://shawjonathan.com/2020/05/23/ruby-reads-21-books-lent-by-a-blog-reader/ ( )

Rosie, a fictional character based on Sendak's real-life neighbor, is an imaginative little girl who spends a few summer days playing with the neighborhood children in this book. She's a bit bossy and dictates how that playing will go, from a musical show to a special Fourth of July parade. The book is presented almost as a series of short vignettes, although they are interrelated. It doesn't have that clear introduction/problem, climax, and resolution structure. The characterization of Rosie does feel very realistic at times, especially in her conversations with her mother. However, the "story" seems to drag in parts, and my listening audience started getting bored. The illustrations -- black-and-white drawings with dashes of red and blue coloring -- show exactly what is going on in the text. ( )

-- ¡Rosie! -- dijo.
-- ¡Chist! -- dijo Rosie --. Suero está dormido.
-- ¿Por qué estás tumbada en el suelo, nena? -- susurró su madre.
-- Porque soy un gato dormido -- contestó Rosie.
-- Oh -- dijo su madre.
Y salió de la habitación andando de puntillas.
-- Buenas noches -- susurró al cerrar la puerta.
-- Miau -- respondió Rosie. ( )

This is one of the lighter books written and illustrated by Sendak. It harkens back to a simple time, a time when pretend was a daily game and neighborhood children who grew bored with summer and with each other, could create fantasies and play.

Rosie is quite a character -- stubborn, bossy and creative.

She insists that others listen when she dresses up and becomes the world famous singer Alinda.

Compared to the strong messages in other Sendak book, this one took me by surprise and was quite uninspiring. ( )

"The Sign on Rosie's Door" is about a young girl named Rosie who post a sign on her door saying, "Is you want to know a secret, knock three times." For anyone who knocked, Rosie would come out dressed up as a famous singer named, Alinda. Throughout the story she switches between her plain self, Rosie and her famous self, Alinda. I think that this story is perfect for independent readers who are moving onto longer books by themselves. The book is broken down into four really short chapters, but it gives the young reader the feel of moving onto chapter books. It shows them what chapters are, exercising their growth, while never losing sight of the creativity and imagination of our main character. ( )