The Answer (Steven Universe)

I'm one of those embarrassingly huge fans of this show so it was kind of a given that I was going to love this book. But let me tell y'all why it's good and why it's important.This is Ruby and Sapphire's story of love and freedom. I think we all know that a children's storybook that's about a "she" falling in love with a "she" is bound to get some raised eyebrows in a world that thinks relationships like theirs can never be innocent, but I would prefer not to focus on that much at all. I just want to say that it's so vital that children see these relationships in the same context that they see cross-sex relationships--and it's not JUST so kids who have same-sex crushes and attractions can see themselves and know they can get fairy tale endings too. It's also for the rest of you--and if those of you who aren't queer can imagine growing up with no books about people like you, you might start to get the idea.But you might not be able to really understand, because you probably CAN'T imagine how devastating it is--when there don't seem to be nice words that describe you, or when futures for people like you don't seem to exist, or when you want to know where you are in the literature people get upset, or when people talk to you like it either doesn't matter that you're invisible or that you're disgusting for wanting that. We want to be in stories because stories are how humanity talks to itself. If we aren't in them, we also learn very young that we don't truly get to participate in human life.So I want to say thank you to everyone who made it possible for something like this to exist. I'm so happy, but also relieved--and a little exasperated that something this sweet and pure took this long to get here because some people look at it and don't see it for what it it is.So what is it?Yes, this story features the beginning of the love between Ruby and Sapphire, though it still doesn't really delve into that. We see very little of their time together. We see them both being sort of in awe of each other--Ruby being amazed that Sapphire would want to be around someone like her when she's an aristocrat and has amazing powers to see beyond time, and Sapphire being amazed that Ruby's courage upended what she thought was inevitable--and we get a peek at the way they look at each other.What we do see more of is their decision to become a Fusion together--the ability the Gem characters have to meld into each other and become another person who represents their relationship. (But also the new Gem will have her own thoughts and feelings, her own new appearance, and her own attitude built from what her component Gems inspire in each other.) In Sapphire and Ruby's story, I think the Fusion relationship is a unique one--not just because she was the first of her kind in her society, but because the relationship between Ruby and Sapphire is now forever changed by how they feel about becoming another entity together. They will eventually fully love each other, but that love will always be influenced by what they've experienced as a Fusion.And everything about their relationship is about possibility, opportunity, novelty, freshness, and power. Rubies in Gem society are supposed to be simple soldiers who do what they're told and fight with their comrades. Sapphires in Gem society are supposed to be wise seers who don't let their emotions affect what happens next. When Ruby made a choice that Rubies aren't supposed to make, Sapphire helplessly watched a future develop that wasn't in the plan. And both of them found what they'd rather be instead. I really appreciate that there was such a strong "supposed to" that the characters challenged without quite meaning to, and that leaving what they were accustomed to did cause them some distress. They had to find something new to be now that Ruby couldn't do what Rubies do and Sapphire couldn't do what Sapphires do. They realized there are multiple "supposed to's" for Gems like them, and fusing together into someone who had no "supposed to's" (because she wasn't supposed to exist) must have made it so much more joyous to explore what lay ahead.The art is pretty special--lots of unsettling images (though nothing too scary), lots of beautiful images, and a different style from the cartoon--it's simplified and stylized, but it still gets plenty of emotion onto those little faces. The backgrounds are lovely as they generally are in the show, and the characters commenting on the text in a meta fashion and talking to each other from little alcoves (Sapphire above, Ruby below) was really powerful. There's narration, but there's also Sapphire and Ruby saying how they felt about what was happening, and expressing opinions about each other's statements and caring about each other's distress. Eventually, they go into each other's chambers, comment on how they feel, and share their perspectives. It seems simple but it's quite a nuanced metaphor and I think a lot of children will understand it despite the complexity.Speaking of complexity, there are some concepts here that I think render this book most appropriate for people who have context from watching the TV show. The fusion concept isn't presented all that accessibly to new fans, and if you haven't seen the show before you don't know that when Gems' physical form is destroyed, they reform later (if their Gem isn't smashed). You don't get introduced to Pearl even though she's there, and you have no context for the illustration of Blue Diamond (and her Pearl), and even though Garnet is mentioned in the online description of the book, she's not called by name in the story itself (just like in the episode). It's also a little unclear in the book (but not the cartoon) why the other Gems were furious at them for fusing, but I guess the story had to be kept simple. There's also some complex language in the book--vocabulary words children in the target group probably won't see in school for a few more years--but the presentation makes me think they will have context to pick it up. I remember doing that a lot as a kid with children's books that slipped in an advanced word here and there.I was hoping for a couple things I didn't get, but I don't blame books for not fulfilling expectations they didn't promise to fulfill. I was really hoping to hear a little more about the moment of Sapphire and Ruby's first fusion, because in the show fusion is supposed to be about being on the same wavelength, and it seemed almost incongruous that they could have fused at that moment amidst all that confusion. If they did, they must have temporarily wanted the same thing. I know what Ruby wanted--to save Sapphire--but I would have loved to see a glimpse of Sapphire wanting to be saved rather than just being sort of blindsided by the rescue. I would have been really interested to see more of that moment of escape into their unheard-of spontaneous relationship--the action that changed who they were figuratively and literally (not to mention saving the planet).The overall package is really precious and looks the way it should--like an age-appropriate, fairy-tale-esque storybook that doesn't have anything strange or inappropriate at all. I can't even imagine reading this to a child and having them stop me to ask "wait, ARE THEY TWO GIRLS??" because it's just so smooth and well told, and the characters' casually presented embraces and nonchalant closeness uses the same cues we'd expect to see on a Disney princess dancing with her prince. It's just Not. An. Issue. Not in the book. Outside of the book, I imagine it will be. I hope the hubbub it creates is primarily positive.And now, of course, it's made even more clear in this book that Garnet doesn't ask questions in the show because Rose told her not to and she took it quite literally. (She seems to get around asking questions with tricky wording, though, like instead of "What did you see?" she'll say "Tell me what you saw.") If you already ARE the answer, what questions could you need to ask?And I've got to say Rebecca Sugar dedicating the book to Ian Jones-Quartey is really sweet.

TLDR: Wow, I said a lot. Buy the book, because it's a piece of LGBTQ history and a good story for parents who want to include different kinds of people in bedtime stories.So I got this book in 2016, two years after I came out of the closet. It's a good reminder that the LGBTQ happily ever after isn't "too adult" or "explicit," and that there isn't a reason to hide. It's a good book to get for parents who want more diversity in their kids' books. The book details two main characters of the show Steven Universe, and if you're not familiar, they "fuse" into one single character on accident. If you don't watch the show, here's a run-down:Sapphire, a Homeworld aristocrat who can see the future, almost dies at the hands of a small rebellion that wants to protect Earth from colonization and eventual destruction. A common Ruby soldier saves her, and they accidentally fuse, causing Sapphire to make the rash decision to run away. They explore Earth, talk about their feelings, and eventually just decide to be a fusion again because it's nice to have a companion. They do fall in love, but that takes a few years (and the show had to fit that into an 11 minute time slot, and a less than 30 page picture book).I saw a review mentioning the confusion between Ruby so easily fusing with other Rubies, but fusions between other gems are difficult and taboo. The gems are hiveminds and are allowed to fuse with their own kind, only for functionality. Fusion means sharing emotions and thoughts with another gem, so intergem fusions likely cause their components to form a bond. They now have different perspectives on life and understand someone just as much as they understand themselves. That's the appeal of Ruby and Sapphire's relationship.Garnet, the sum of Ruby and Sapphire's parts, explains in more than one episode that love takes time and work, but it's beautiful. They did fuse on accident in the beginning, but they continue to do so because they found out it just feels nice to be seen, and that's what causes them to fall more in love. Of course five thousand years later, they're gonna seriously ham up and romanticize their first meeting and fusion. They literally built their identities on it. Their story continues way beyond this, with the pair getting married towards the end of the series. It was actually the first queer kiss, and first queer marriage ever in family programming- so maybe the allure of owning a piece of history will convince you to buy the book?

Super cute art style, everything looks amazing, and such a cute retelling of how Garnet became a fusion, perfect for everyone 💕

Yes! This is such a great book. I know it's (kind of) intended for kids but it's a fun retro book if you're a fan of Steven Universe. It's especially meaningful if you've seen the recent (July 2018) episode 'The Question' which is such a sweet follow-up to the episode and book 'The Answer'. No spoilers!The retro design and art style are adorable and the way the story is told in a sort of parallel narrative at the tops and bottoms of the pages is unique. It's so beautiful, as is the story. For those who don't pay attention to book measurements this is about the size of a ''big' Little Golden book, not the size of a smaller Little Golden. That way, the lovely illustrations are big enough to follow easily since every page is packed with story, and simple retro beauty. If you or your child is already into Steven Universe, it's amazing. Even if you aren't it's beautiful.

I love this book.it’s so sweet and beautifully illustrated, it’s like you’re being told the story by Ruby and Sapphire. I wish it were easier to find. My kids love Steven universe. So do I. I will probably keep this one long after they outgrow it. It works well as a companion piece for Fusions for Beginners and Experts.

Here's my review for such an amazingly written story told by Rebecca Sugar and illustrated by Elle Michalka & Tiffany Ford.~ 52 Pages~ Age Level: 8 - 12 (Although anyone can read such a beautiful Book ;D)~ PLOTThousands of years ago, there were two Gems called Ruby and Sapphire who lived on the faraway Gem Homeworld planet. Even though one Gem could see into the future, neither could predict that their paths would come together in such an incredible way! This is the story of Garnet, the leader of the Crystal Gems, and how she came to live on planet Earth. Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe, tells this love story with plenty of warmth and humor.~ SPOILER FREE REVIEW & THOUGHTSI enjoyed reading this book so much. This book is an alternative narrative to Ruby and Sapphire's story first seen in the episode of the same from the Animated Show. Now as a fan of the show for over 2 Years I can tell you that this is a biased review however isn't every review biased? The Illustration is weird and amazing at the same time. Different aspects of characters appear different in the Book because of how they were illustrated. Not that is bad or anything but it shows us more to a Character than we would of thought we would of seen which in-fact makes it a better book than others like "Guide to the Crystal Gems" which I have also reviewed.In conclusion, If you want to read more about Characters you see in Cartoons in such a different light then go ahead and purchase this incredible Book! It's told differently to the episode and the art makes it so different to any graphic novel you have ever read before! And what makes it an incredible book that makes it worth your attention is the fact it's a grand adventure full of love and heart.~ Thank you for reading my Review ^_^

it's basically just the episode in book form but with a comintery from ruby and sapphire but the illustrations are beautiful and it was a great episode with a strong message about love (spoilers?). it's definitely more ment for kids so if your not just buying it for the illustrations you might not get much out of it but if you have kids or nephew/niece or godchild or whatever i think they'd probably like it and it has a good message.

Can't believe it took me this long to pick this gem up. (Pardon the SU pun.) It's targeted at a younger audience but it's a gorgeous addition to any Steven Universe fans' collection.

Arrived fast and well, beautifully illustrated and surprisingly short but full of content. The pages inside are not glossy and more reminiscent of colouring book paper so be careful giving to very young children who are liable to scribble inside it. Also features some difficult vocabulary for infant school aged children so probably best read with an adult on hand to explain some words.

Cute! Ruby and Sapphire are just adorable! I would recommend for any fan of Steven Universe. The art is cute and it is the book form of "The Answer" episode, which is great for those who like holding things they love in their hands, such as myself.