The One and Only Ruby: A Heartfelt Elephant Story About Memories, Family, and Finding Your Place in a Changing World

The One and Only Ruby is a delightful children’s book that captivated both me and my child from start to finish. The story is heartwarming and beautifully written, making it an enjoyable read for both kids and adults. Ruby’s adventures are engaging and filled with valuable lessons about friendship, bravery, and kindness. This book is a wonderful addition to any child’s library, and I highly recommend it for its charming story and positive messages.

The One and Only Ruby is the third book in the four book series written by Katherine Applegate. The book tells the story of Ruby, the elephant we meet in the first book, “The One and Only Ivan.” Ruby was a very small elephant when we was brought to the “The Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade”. She lived there with a larger elephant named Stella, Ivan the Gorilla and their friend Bob the dog.” Ruby now lives in the zoo next to Ivan. She is not happy that she has tusks, even if they are small. She dreads having to give a speech about what Tuskday means to her. She sees no use for tusks. Maybe this is because she has seen what happens to elephants when poachers want those tusks. As she tries to work her way through her feelings leading up to Tuskday she tells her story to Ivan, his mate Kinyani, and Bob. Through this story we learn about Ruby and her life in Africa and the herd she was a part of. We learn of her joys and her sadness. Along the way we see Ruby mature and grow and actually become a part of the herd she is with at the zoo. I was so excited when this book came out. Just as excited as when I read the first two books, “The One and Only Ivan”, and “The One and only Bob”. This book, like the others is an emotional read. It is one that I will never forget.

Love the book

Three book series very popular with my grandchildren. Dad reads two chapters a night before my grandchildren go to bed.

This the third book in the series. It was a little slow at times, but there were also some valuable lessons. This story picks up where the second book left off, but readers who haven't read the first two will still be able to enjoy it. Ruby is a small African elephant who has had a challenging life. He recounts much of his past while talking to his friends Ivan the Gorilla and Bob the Dog. Ruby becomes an orphan after his mother is shot by poachers. He then is moved to an animal sanctuary in Africa, to a mall in America, and finally to a zoo where he is now. He longs for his old life in the wild, though he also feels cared for and loved at the zoo. The other elephants are excited to celebrate Ruby's Tusk day, a sign he is growing up. Mostly this brings up bad memories because Ruby remembers when his mother was hunted for her tusks. He contemplates running away because he wants to avoid his expected speech. Readers will get the sense that author Katherine Applegate wrote this story in large part because of the cruel treatment of elephants in circuses. One of the skillfull aspects of the story is that Applegate teaches us about elephants while still writing an entertaining piece of fiction.

Our 9 year old just finished this book and really enjoyed it! He has now read all of them, The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and finally, The One and Only Ruby. He is going into 4th grade and the The One and Only Ivan was on his recommended summer reading list from school, but he had already read that one last summer, so this summer we went with this one, which I had already preordered, so it worked out great! He read every morning when he first woke up for about 15-30 minutes per day and it only took him a few weeks to finish the book. He enjoyed it and I would say that’s a pretty good pace for a 9 year old that prefers reading Dogman. Reading is also not his favorite thing to do.

This book really surprised me. I didn't think it was possible to like a third book in a series as much as the first one. I really like how Ruby thinks, and a lot of the things she says are pretty funny. It also surprises me when I read a children's book and find some pretty profound statements. I guess I am just surprised because it makes you wonder if kids will pick up on it. I think it is a good idea to relax and unwind with a children's book every now and then. I am happy to say that this book truly delivers in those areas. This is also a book that I would be more than happy to read again.

They say that an elephant has a great memory. Ruby shows us that in this book, as she tells her story of her what happened to her before she arrived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall. Top Things to look forward to as you read this book: * Elephants * Growing Up * Finding a Family My children and I enjoyed this book. We felt a lot of emotions as Ruby shared her story with Ivan and Bob. What she went through in Africa and later when she arrived at the Mall. This novel was beautifully written. It touches on hard subjects like, poaching and drought conditions in Africa. But I feel that the way Katherine Applegate wrote it was appropriate for children. Definitely a book we will add to our shelves with the other two books in this series. I hope it doesn't stop here with Ruby's story. My children and now I, can't get enough of these stories.