Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life.

An elephant glossary and Castelao’s charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby’s world. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby’s past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. She’s apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she’ll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. In this follow-up to 2020’s The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. Regardless, Chiyo’s affection for Emily Grace fascinates, and the message of friendship and peace between nations endures, while a small-town girl’s honor is redefined.

Her battles with Hoshi, however, appear one-dimensional, with a less-than-satisfying resolution between the two. She questions the norm while respecting tradition, no matter how seemingly unfair. Chiyo’s struggle to live up to societal and gender-based expectations while also following her heart feels genuine and cheer-worthy. To everyone’s surprise, Chiyo becomes connected to one doll, Emily Grace, setting off a pathway to self-discovery. Together with her friend, Nakata Hana, and five others, Chiyo is selected to sing “The Welcome Song” during the ceremony in Tokyo to welcome the dolls from America. According to Yamada Nori, she will learn proper behavior and put her “hill country wildness behind her.” If Chiyo does well and learns to model herself after Miyamoto Hoshi, a general’s daughter, she can return home for Masako’s wedding. Caught red-handed, she is sent to a girls’ school far away in Tsuchiura. and Japan, from the point of view of a girl growing up in Japan.Įleven-year-old Chiyo can’t resist sneaking into Masako’s marriage meeting to see her sister’s future husband, Yamada Nori, for herself.

A companion piece to Parenteau’s Ship of Dolls (2014), this historical novel explores the 1926 Dolls of Friendship international project, a gesture for peace between the U.S.

Dolls of Hope by Shirley Parenteau