Point of View

The novel is narrated by Ruby, an African elephant. Like the other books in the series, the story is told in verse. However, the first book was narrated by Ivan, the silverback gorilla, and Bob, the former stray dog. Ruby’s narrative voice is younger than the voices of Bob and Ivan, who both told their stories from the vantage point of adulthood for their species. However, Ruby is only about two years old, so her voice is very youthful and childish. This young perspective is juxtaposed harshly with the devastating plot movements of the novel, which include the slaughtering of Ruby’s mother right in front of her eyes, the kidnapping of Ruby from her beloved orphanage by poachers, and the selling of Ruby into terrible roadside zoos run by cruel men.

Because of Ruby’s extreme youth and the fact that she is...