The One and Only Ruby

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in the enclosure next to Elephant Odyssey. He lives with his partner, Kinyana, a female gorilla. Ivan frequently catches up with his friend Bob the dog, who has been adopted by a zookeeper’s family and who is frequently brought in to see Ivan and Ruby. The three catch up in a corner where Ruby and Ivan’s enclosures meet, called Canine Corner.

Ivan’s life has been affected by Animal Cruelty and Exploitation; he was taken from Africa and lived in a small, inhumane pen at the mall next to Stella and Ruby. Like Ruby, he is devastated that Stella did not get to enjoy the relative freedom and space afforded to them at the Sanctuary. His devastation makes it difficult for him to talk about Stella; instead he avoids the subject and gets upset when others bring her up. Bob urges both Ivan and Ruby to talk about Stella. After Ruby tells her life story, including her time with Stella in the cage in the mall, Ivan is inspired to commemorate Stella, too. Near the novel’s conclusion, the three friends exchange stories about Stella, laughing happily. This important moment illustrates Ivan’s decision to finally confront his grief and mourn his beloved friend.

Bob is a cheeky dog who lives with Julia, a young girl, and her family, including her father, who works at the sanctuary. Julia’s father found Stella, Ruby, and Ivan living in inhumane conditions at the mall, and organized their relocation to the sanctuary. Bob was a stray dog who would sleep with Ivan in his cage. Julia’s family adopted Bob, and they bring him frequently to see his friends at the sanctuary, where they converge at Canine Corner.

Bob is a jokester who loves riddles and teasing his friends. Despite his playful nature, Bob also possesses wisdom and maturity; he urges his friends to commemorate Stella, rather than keeping their grief about her death bottled up. His advice enables them to finally process Stella’s loss. It also facilitates Ruby’s Coming of Age as she learns to confront difficult feelings instead of hiding from them.

Aunt Akello is the matriarch of the Park Herd, the group of elephants who live in the WildWorld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. She fills a maternal role for Ruby, occasionally disciplining Ruby for poor behavior. On other occasions, Aunt Akello is loving and gentle with Ruby, such as when Ruby struggles with her feelings about her tusks given her mother’s death at the hands of ivory poachers. Aunt Akello oversees Ruby’s Tuskday ceremony and inducts her into the ways of adult elephants.

Stella takes on the role of Ruby’s mother when they live in the cage in the mall: “She cuddled me, loved me, promised me that life would get better” (162). By asking Ruby about the things that amazed her and the things she was proud of every day, Stella begins to induct Ruby into the ways of adult elephants, who ask themselves each night: “What gifts did the world give you today? What gifts did you give the world?” (203). When Ruby learns of this practice at her Tuskday ceremony, she reflects that Aunt Stella is still with her in a way, because Ruby carries what she learned from Stella in her heart. This helps Ruby to commemorate Stella and to still feel connected with her.