15. The One and Only Ruby

The One and Only Ruby (The One and Only Ivan #3) Katherine Applegate. 2023. [May] 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Nobody ever listens to the littlest elephant. And around here, the littlest elephant is me. 

Premise/plot: Ruby has starred in The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob. It is only fair that this 'littlest elephant' gets a chance to tell her own story. 

Ruby is getting her tusks and the elephant herd wants to celebrate the occasion. But Ruby is reluctant. She is not happy about her tusks, and the idea of celebrating something she hates about herself, well, it's overwhelming. 

Ruby is surrounded by those who love, love, love, love, love, love, love her. She is supported. 

In this book, she tells her story. She shares memories of Stella. She shares memories of her time in Africa. There are so many flashbacks. Many chapters are just Ruby talking while Ivan and Bob occasionally are referenced as listening or gently asking questions. 

My thoughts: I enjoyed reading The One and Only Ruby. I can honestly say that all three books in this series are unique. You might think, well, they are all in the same series. Yes, they're in the same series, but the tone and voice, the plot and pacing--each book is so unique.

The One and Only Ruby is very reflective. Perhaps this isn't surprising. After all, elephants never forget, right? They have amazing memories. Ruby has been shaped by her memories. And while she's struggling with her reluctance to celebrate her tusks--and finding the teasing unbearable--her memories are helping her. 

Friendship and found families are strong themes in this one. (Though I might be misusing the word 'theme'.)

Quotes:

An elephant matriarch is like a teacher and a counselor and a rescuer and a yeller and a helper and a nudger and a guider all rolled into one. I hope she isn't mad. I really do try to listen to the grown-ups, but every now and then my ears misbehave.

"Don't think too hard about the words," she says, "Just feel them." "But words aren't for feeling," I say. "Words are for hearing and saying and maybe singing. Also yelling and whispering and--"

Anything can be amazing, Ruby. Anything and everything. ~ Stella

"You can't run away from growing up," she says. "That's a race you will not win, my friend." ~ Aunt Zaina

"A first friend is a true gift, because forever after, your heart knows what's possible."

"A sentinel is someone who looks out for you. It can be someone who's part of your herd, of course, but it could be anyone. Sentinels can be your caretakers or your friends or your teachers or your neighbors. They look out for you. They understand you. They help you."

I looked at Uncle Ivan and Uncle Bob. My eyes were hot with tears. "You," I said. "You are my sentinels." I sniffled a little. "I'm a very lucky elephant."

"Then why should I celebrate having tusks? Why should I be excited about something people want to kill me over?" I cry.

"We are not our best selves without kindness." The other aunts respond, all speaking together: "An elephant without kindness is not an elephant." "We are not our best selves without wonder," says Aunt Akello. "An elephant without wonder is not an elephant," the aunts respond. "We are not our best selves without courage," says Aunt Akello. "An elephant without courage is not an elephant," the aunts respond. "We are not our best selves without gratitude," says Aunt Akello. "An elephant without gratitude is not an elephant," the aunts respond. 

"Every day," says Aunt Akello, "pick a quiet time and ask yourself these two questions. "What gifts did the world give you today? What gifts did you give the world?"

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers

14. The One and Only Bob

The One and Only Bob. Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Patricia Castelao.  2020. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Look, nobody's ever accused me of being a good dog. I bark at empty air. I eat cat litter. I roll in garbage to enhance my aroma. I harass innocent squirrels. I hog the couch. I lick myself in the presence of company. I'm no saint, okay?

The One and Only Bob is a sequel to Katherine Applegate's One and Only Ivan. Is it a sequel or more of a companion novel? Definitely a sequel. The novel opens with Bob living with his new family (George, Sara, Julia), and Ivan (the gorilla) and Ruby (the elephant) in their new homes at the local zoo. There are flashbacks--of sorts--to their time living together at the mall (as well as other flashbacks). 

The One and Only Bob has enough action for ten books. (I jest, mostly). You could argue that The One and Only Ivan was a character-driven, contemplative/reflective story with tons of heart. The One and Only Bob doesn't lack any in the character department. It doesn't. (There are new characters introduced too). And it certainly has HEART. (It is all the feels all at once.) But the action is INTENSE. Now take what you're imagining and magnify by about five. For 98% of this one expect to have your stomach in knots and an ache in your heart. 

So a storm is coming...and it's a BIG storm. It will catch all the characters--especially the animals, but also the humans--a bit unprepared. 

I really LOVED this one. It is a love in a different way. It complements One and Only Ivan. It does. But the intensity of the action is something that I could NEVER have handled in a million years as a kid. Bravo to those who can read it without becoming a total wreck. And the ending is 1000% worth it. It is a GREAT book. But oh the journey for these characters!!!!!

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Sloth at the Zoom

Sloth at the Zoom. Helaine Becker. Illustrated by Orbie. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: One bright day, a truck whizzed up to the front gate of the Zoom. There was a new animal being delivered. It was a sloth.

Premise/plot: The sloth was supposed to be delivered to the Zzzzoo. Instead the sloth is delivered to the ZOOM. She was looking forward to all the REST and RELAXATION promised to her at the Zzzzoo. She'll have some adapting to do. Her animal neighbors at the Zoom are....well, zoom-y.

At the Zoom, the zebras galloped so fast they left their stripes in puddles.
The monkeys climbed so fast they forgot to stop at the treetops.
And the parrots flew so fast their tails drew rainbows across the sky.

Will she ever make friends? Yes. But in her own time and in her own way.

My thoughts: I'm not sure if I'd rather visit a Zzzzoo where all the animals are sleeping or the Zoom where all the animals are crazy-busy-fast. The residents in this town--as evidenced by the end papers--don't have to choose. They have both.

I really enjoyed this one. I did. I enjoyed the writing style. The narrative was fun. I liked all the plays on words. I liked the theme of friendship as well. It does take time to make friends and to keep them. But friendship is worth slowing down for.

I loved, loved, LOVED the illustrations.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10





© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Zoozical

ZooZical by Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Marc Brown. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.

One blustery morning, when frosty winds blew, 
When families stayed home, and when field trips were few,
The midwinter doldrums arrived at the zoo.

The zoo animals are bored, bored, bored. It's winter and the weather is keeping visitors away from the zoo. But with one little bounce--or hop--all that changes. The hop in question--from a small hippo--not the bounciest animal, perhaps, but wouldn't you hop out of the way if a BIG hippo was about to collapse on you? Inspired by this hop, the animals decide to put on a show. And this show--this talent show--brings in visitors once more.

I am not a big fan of Judy Sierra. I think her rhyming--her rhythm--is lacking quite a bit. The rhymes feel unnatural and the story feels forced in places. The rhymes hold this story back. The premise of this one--performing animals, silly animal tricks, animals singing, dancing, laughing, etc. isn't a horrible one. It could actually be fun (think Dooby, Dooby Moo). And I always appreciate a good zoo story.

The strength of this one is in the illustrations by Marc Brown. I thought they worked well with this one. The illustrations alone kept me reading this one.

Have you read ZooZical? What did you think? Do you have a favorite zoo book?

Text: 1 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 4 out of 10

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

My Side of the Car

My Side of the Car. Kate Feiffer. Illustrated by Jules Feiffer. 2011. Candlewick. 32 pages.


My dad and I are going to the zoo. We've tried to go to the zoo before. But we never get there.
One day when we were supposed to go to the zoo, my mom tripped over a toy fire engine.
So we went to the hospital instead of the zoo.

Thus begins Kate Feiffer's My Side of the Car. Who could resist Sadie, our narrator?! I mean really! She looks so joyful, so happy, so hopeful, so exuberant. You can almost HEAR her as the story begins. I think it was love at first sight, for me at least. I just HAD to keep reading!

So Sadie, our young narrator, really, really, really, really wants to go to the zoo. Now she's tried to go in the past. Again and again and again. But something has always happened to prevent them from getting there. Be it an unexpected visit from her grandparents or her dog getting lost or her poor mom's accident! This time Sadie just HAS to get to the zoo!

So. It starts to rain. But Sadie insists it's not raining on MY side of the car. Her father keeps talking about the rain, how hard it's coming down, etc. But over and over and over and over again, Sadie's insisting that is just not raining on her side of the car.

"I look out my window, and the sun is shining on my side of the car. People are putting on their sunglasses and heading to zoos all over the world on my side of the car."

and

"It's not raining on my side of the car. People on my side of the car are watering their lawns."

This picture book is funny! I mean I just loved it! Loved, loved, loved it even! It's delightful and charming!!! And it's just a great picture book about a father who loves his daughter very, very much!!!!

While this one would make a great book for Father's Day--in my opinion--it's one that should be read again and again and again any time of year!!! What makes this one even more charming--as if it needed any help--was that it is based on a true story of this father-daughter author/illustrator team!!!

I think this one would pair well with the Knuffle Bunny books by Mo Willems!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Zoo I Drew

Doodler (Goldman), Todd H. 2009. The Zoo I Drew. Random House. (July 28(ish) publication)

This one's a keeper. And not just for zoo keepers either. Though this one boasts that it is "zoo-keeper approved." (And who am I to doubt Todd H. Doodler?!) I loved this one. Loved it. It had me at hello. Its bright red cover is fluted; I loved feeling all the ridges--made it so much more appealing. The art is fun and playful. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. The Zoo I Drew is an animal (well zooish) alphabet book for youngsters. Each letter has an animal and a rhyme to go along with it.

A is for Alligator...
With a mouth full of teeth
and a body that's covered in scales.
The alligator likes to bask in the sun
and swim with it's powerful tail.

M is for Monkey
Hanging from its tail,
The monkey likes to play around.
It swings from tree to tree
And seldom touches the ground.

As I said, I loved this one. So it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that I'm highly recommending it to you. It's to be released in late July.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers