‘An elephant alone, is not an elephant.’

A family member has told Ruby this, but she doesn’t know what it means. She supposed it was to help her with her upcoming Tuskday, but it really doesn’t. Ruby knows a herd member’s Tuskday is important, and an opportunity to celebrate, but she just wishes it wasn’t her Tuskday. Tuskday also means practicing for the ceremony and having a speech prepared for her aunts to listen to. Ruby would much rather spend her time playing in the mud pond they have in their zoo enclosure.

Who needs tusks anyway? As they have begun to grow, they hurt Ruby’s face and mouth, and she wishes they weren’t there at all. Tusks also bring bad memories of when she was a baby.

When she visits her uncles in their enclosure (Silver Back Gorilla Ivan, and small scraggly dog Bob), she tells them of her worries about Tuskday. But she also shares the excitement of a visitor who has come a long way to find her. This leads to the story of her birth and how she remembers everything from the moment she was born. She was named Nya by her mother, given a new name by humans when orphaned in Africa, but now is happy enough with her now name – Ruby.

The story she shares with Ivan and Bob reveals her worries about Tuskday and the connecting memories, and when Tuskday arrives, Ruby still can’t face it. It’s only when she finds she can’t run away from it any longer that she truly listens to the saying, ‘An elephant alone, is not an elephant.’ Finally she understands, and faces the ceremony. It’s full of love and understanding and remembrance of all she has lost.

Maybe Tuskday isn’t so terrible after all.

The sequel to the award winning The One and Only Ivan, this gentle story continues baby elephant Ruby’s life after being rescued from the Exit 8 Strip Mall Zoo, along with Ivan.

This is a story of self discovery, and the character’s place in her world at her new, much larger and well resourced zoo. With Ivan not far away and his canine friend Bob always visiting, Ruby has a safe place to talk of her troubles and worries. Sharing her memories since birth, reveals why she is struggling with the new growth of her tusks.

This allows the reader to see the effect of the illegal ivory trade and poaching – from an elephant’s point of view. The universal story of growing up is the key theme, and ultimately leaves the reader full of hope for Ruby’s future.

Elephant body language is shown in 6 adorable illustrations in the beginning of the book, along with a glossary of elephant speak (terms), to allow the reader to understand Ruby better. Instead of being set out in chapters, the story is split into small sections with a title of what Ruby is about to share with the reader. More illustrations portray Ruby in action. 

In the rear of the book, the author’s note talks a little about shrinking elephant populations and the long term effects of poaching. Ten pages of The One and Only Ivan tempts the reader into wanting to know more about this strange trio of Gorilla (Ivan), Dog (Bob), and young elephant, Ruby.

Author – Katherine Applegate

Illustrator – Patricia Castelao

Age – 8+

Read a review of The One and Only Ivan here

Read a review of The One and Only Bob here

(2023, Harper Collins, Series, Animals, Elephants, Growing up, Zoo, Poaching, Poachers, Ivory Trade, Tusks, Hunting, Africa, Elephant Orphanage, Ivan, Friendships, Riddles)