THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY

Imani Parks's enthusiastic, animated voice fits lovable Ruby, the baby elephant introduced in THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. Parks's convincing narration quickly has listeners experiencing Ruby's playful nature and imagining the joy of mud fun and pond play. Parks also articulates Ruby's dislike of her nickname, "Tusky," and her apprehension about her Tuskday celebration speech. As Ruby remeets a keeper from her elephant orphanage in Africa, her memories return. Listeners learn a deeper truth as Parks's narration grows mournful and Ruby recalls her early life, her mother's death at the hands of hunters, and her tusk association with poachers. Parks brings all Ruby's friends, the familiar characters in this series, to life, and Ruby is especially vivid. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]