Starred Review ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Starred Review In this latest from Applegate, the elephant introduced in The One and Only Ivan (2012) gets to tell her life story to friends at the Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. Ruby, aka Duni (her African keeper's name for her) aka Nya (her birth name), hates her new nickname, Tusky. It signals her tusks are emerging and that she will soon have her Tuskday, which is "like a birthday party, only without the fun." There is a deeper reason, though, why everything about her tusks bothers her, and when Ruby is visited by the keeper who helped save her when her mother was killed by hunters, it stirs memories that she relates to her friends Ivan, the silverback gorilla; Bob, the dog; and the leader of her present herd, Aunt Akello. In the guise of a growing-up tale, the story leads readers to ponder the ecological devastation of the ivory trade, the difficulties of being torn from your homeland at an early age, and the horrors of many circuses and zoos. But countering that is also the joy of friendship, humans' kindness toward animals, and the joy of just being a kid, as described in Ruby's descriptions of the fun she has during "pondplay," "mudfun," and her "floppy-run." For fans of Ivan as well as animals in general, this is a special sequel.

Horn Book (Tue Dec 03 00:00:00 CST 2024)

After The One and Only Ivan (rev. 1/12) and The One and Only Bob (rev. 7/20), it's now young elephant Ruby's turn to tell her story. Having relocated to a new wildlife park in Florida (with Ivan, the silverback gorilla; and Bob, the wisecracking dog), Ruby has been adopted into a new elephant herd. Tuskday (the "traditional celebration after the arrival of a young elephant's tusks") is fast approaching, and she is exceptionally anxious about the rite of passage. Ruby gets an unexpected visitor one day when Jabori, who cared for her in an elephant orphanage in Africa, comes to visit. This joyful reunion provides the impetus for her to share the full story of her traumatic past, beginning with her mother being hunted and killed for her tusks. A conversation with the wise matriarch of the wildlife park's herd gives Ruby the courage to proceed with the Tuskday celebration. The book features Applegate's trademark verse-prose; appealing spot illustrations; and the hallmark themes of the series: adversity, trauma, friendship, resilience, and hope. An author's note discusses the plight of elephants in captivity and the continuing devastation of the ivory trade in the wild.

Kirkus Reviews

In this follow-up to 2020's The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary.She's apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she'll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby's past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. An elephant glossary and Castelao's charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby's world. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life. Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. The author's note touches on climate change, the illegal ivory trade, and conservation efforts, but the highly emotive framing of the story through the memories of a bewildered baby elephant emphasizes the impact of lines such as " ‘in Africa,' I say softly, ‘there were bad people,' " without offering readers a nuanced understanding of the broader context that drives poaching.Certain to steal hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Lovable baby elephant Ruby is the delightful narrator of this follow-up to The One and Only Bob, which further chronicles the animal’s difficult journey to the wildlife park and sanctuary where she now lives. As the story picks up, Ruby laments that “nobody ever listens to the littlest elephant,” especially concerning her dreaded upcoming Tuskday celebration, a rite of passage that she has no interest in recognizing. Doted on by her adopted elephant “aunts,” and counseled by gorilla Ivan, who lives in a nearby enclosure, and dog Bob, who visits regularly, Ruby is safe and surrounded by loved ones. But an unexpected visit awakens memories both welcome and harrowing, including those making her reluctant to celebrate her tusks. Ruby’s playful yet sage voice traces the events that brought her from her unspecified African savanna home to the mall where she and Ivan previously lived, and, at last, to the sanctuary. With her trademark blend of frankness and hope, Applegate details dire circumstances facing elephants in the wild, including climate change and poaching, while elucidating their fierce loyalty and highlighting, via the three protagonists’ unforgettable bond, myriad interspecies relationships. A concluding author’s note offers further context. Ages 8–12. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo,