Max and Ruby are the product of the books written by Rosemary Wells. Rosemary has several more stories and characters in her many books. Her sibling interactions, I trust, are like most young siblings getting along. The most commonly heard words in any of the episodes are "Max!" and "Oh Max!" Ruby is a precocious know-it-all big sister who tries to be Max's mother and not sister. Max, not to be outdone, is an obnoxious little brother who is often in the way.
In Ruby's Snowbunny, Max wants to go sledding, but Ruby is set on making a huge snowbunny. She will not take Max sledding until he helps her finish. As is the case, they have built their snowbunny too close to the run and it is in danger of being destroyed. Max gets to use his sled to save the day, as well as the snowbunny.
In Ruby's Snowflake, Ruby makes three snowflake-shaped cookies and she wants to surprise her Grandmother by decorating them all exactly the same. Max wants to eat the snowflake cookies now. When Max tries to get a cookie, by way of toys, he causes Ruby to make a mistake. Ruby is put out with Max, but when Grandma comes, she points out that her cookies are perfect, as every snowflake is different.
In Duck Duck Goose, Max wants to play "Duck Duck Goose!" with Ruby. She is in the middle of working with her Bunny Scout troop, and needs to find 5 Winter birds for their Bunny Scout badge. When the girls have only found 3 birds, they find Max has found the last two birds.
Ruby's Gingerbread House has Ruby and Louise wanting to make the perfect gingerbread house for Grandma, but Max wants the candy. It's going fine, except that the girls can't get the walls to stick, so it is up to Max to make the house work with his favorite candy.
In Max's Christmas Past, Christmas is over but Max cannot let it go. Ruby assures him it will return, and there are other holidays on the way. He then begins his own mission of rounding up Christmas stuff and erecting his own tree in his room so Christmas can continue.
In Max's New Year, Max and Ruby head to Grandmas for New Year. Max has no concept of waiting for midnight, so Ruby repeatedly tries to teach him when it is going to happen. Ruby and Grandma's efforts are so tiring they fall asleep before the big moment, leaving only Max to bring in the New Year.
In Ruby's Horn of Plenty, Max's alter ego, Super Bunny, has to play it quiet while Ruby is asked to look after a neighbor's baby. She tries to placate him by getting him to help her with the cornucopia. You can never trust a rabbit, or a little brother, to not eat all of the vegetables she is handing him to place in the horn.
In Max's Big Kick, the girls are trying to make their collages and Max is learning to kick a football. Max can't seem to keep his ball from affecting his sister's project.
In Max Says Goodbye, Max is torn about leaving all of his toys at home while they go over to one of Ruby's friends house. Max delays their leaving as he says goodbye to all of his toys. By the time he is done, and they are ready to go, Grandma has stopped by and the only word he has for his sister is "Goodbye!"
Max's Balloon Buddies has Max learning the short lifecycle of balloon animals, as Ruby desperately tries to see the flower exhibit. By the time they get it sorted out, the fair is closing and Ruby has lost her chance to see the flowers. Max asks that his last balloon be a flower which he then gives to Ruby.
In Ruby's Penny Carnival, Ruby sets out to earn money for a Bunny Scout field trip, by putting together a carnival in the backyard. Once again ignored, Max puts on his own attraction of a thrill house which is a huge success for the carnival.
In Ruby's Big Win, Ruby placates Max by telling him to go play other games, as she is determined to win a goldfish. She is running out of tickets, and not winning the fish, when a nudge from Max help her ball go in the hole. Not knowing what she was going to do with the fish now, Max has won all of the items they will need to give it a good home.
No matter what happens between the siblings, Ruby always stays calm with Max. This is obviously what they are tring to show us, just as Max, often ignored, is persistent and still works with Ruby to solve the problem. This is a great one for multiple kids to watch. I have a slightly reversed scenario, as my boy is older than his sister, but the point is the episodes are simple enough to point back to when the kids begin to grind on one another's nerves. These themes are highly allegorical, but there is nothing wrong with that as it is aimed at a very young age.
