The Littlest Elephant: A One and Only Ruby Story―A Tender Picture Book about Growing Up, for Kids

by Katherine Applegate, Lita Judge (Illustrator)

From the Newbery Award-winning and bestselling author of the modern classic One and Only series comes a gorgeous picture book introducing young listeners to Ruby, the beloved baby elephant.

Ruby is the littlest elephant in the herd at the animal sanctuary, where she lives near her best friends Ivan the silverback gorilla and Bob the lovable mutt. Ruby loves all the things that make being an elephant fun, like splashing in muddy puddles and spraying water through her trunk. But there are parts of being an elephant that she doesn’t love so much, like her new tusks.

The herd is preparing for Ruby’s Tuskday, a day to celebrate the fact that Ruby is growing up, and for remembering. Ruby has lots of happy memories, but she also has lots of sad ones, ones that are hard to think about. Surrounded by the love of her herd and her friends, the littlest elephant will see that growing up doesn’t have to be scary, and that remembering the darkness can help us appreciate the light.

This beautiful and poignant story shows listeners the importance of honoring the past, cherishing the present, and facing the future without fear.

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Juvenile, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 17, 2026

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.

Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).

She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).

Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).

With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)

Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.

Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.

Reviews

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkably complex for a book of this size! Very sweet. A little sad but ultimately a celebration. 3.6 stars

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lessons, a return to a fantastic character—perfect for younger readers before they start One and Only Ivan!
4.5 ⭐️

[K. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish it ended a little differently, but a sweet story nonetheless.

[Karen Shilvock-Cinefro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby is the littlest elephant in a herd at an animal sanctuary. The special day is that Ruby’s tucks are now starting to grow out. There is a brief page explaining how some humans are bad and want elephant tusks but then there are good humans that rescue elephants so they can live safely in sanctuaries. The process of the move is scary at first but then Ruby realizes what a good place the elephants are at. Part of the Tusk ceremony is to think of what one has received and what one gives.
This is a beautifully illustrated book and recommended for 4-8 year olds.

[Hannah Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for an ALC of this book!

Another great book in the One and Only series by Katherine Applegate! My boys love these books and Katherine does a beautiful job welcoming the reader into each of the animals world and the struggles they may experience. This was a shorter story and overlapped with past books in this series. I loved reading about Ruby overcoming the fear of her tusks. It was such a cute coming of age story and was a fun lighthearted story for my elementary aged boys. 🐘

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Nobody ever listens to the littlest elephant. And around here, the littlest elephant is me. When you're the littlest elephant, they call you things like "Buttercup" and "Ru-Ru" and "Twizzletrunk." Even though your name is Ruby.

Premise/plot: Ruby is the littlest elephant. But she's growing, growing, growing. Her new tusks are a sign of her growing up. Ruby is conflicted. She doesn't know if she wants to do the growing up. What if she wants to stay the littlest elephant. The book is about a celebration of her growing her. And Ruby doesn't want to do the remembering bit that is encouraged by the older, wiser elephants.

My thoughts: I liked this one well enough. I love the middle grade novels in this series. I do. I don't love the picture books as much. Well, that's not quite true. With this one, the audience is definitely older readers. Dare I say it's best for adult readers? That it is more a book for adults to appreciate? It is text heavy. I can't see the story appealing unless you've already read the middle grade novel(s). The themes are mature--not because of content but because they are deeper in a philosophical, reflective way. I liked it.

[Katie Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Littlest Elephant: A One and Only Ruby Story by Katherine Applegate is a sweet and gentle addition to the beloved Ivan world. Even as a picture book, I know my middle schoolers will love stepping back into this story. I did wish the ending had gone in another direction, but it’s still a heartfelt and tender read. 🐘💛

Summary:
Ruby, the youngest elephant at a sanctuary, navigates growing up, memories both happy and sad, and learns that embracing the past can help her face the future with courage.

🎧 Audiobook Note:
Narrated by Imani Parks, whose comforting voice adds warmth and emotional depth to Ruby’s story.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, beautifully-illustrated story about Ruby, a growing young elephant who is celebrating her first "Tuskday" with her family, in celebration of her new tusks. Ruby has some mixed feelings about growing up, as will be relatable to any child.

This is a wordy picture book, and will probably make the most sense to kids who are familiar with the longer book that inspired this story, "The One & Only Ruby." However, it is also accessible to kids who haven't read the source material, and it does a good job of balancing vague references to a sad experience with more uplifting and hopeful content.

[Mich Dandonneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Audio and Netgalley.

This story is so sweet and made sweeter by Imani Parks comforting voice. The audiobook was a great way to calm down before bed. My son loved it.

We visit Ruby, the littlest elephant, as she prepares for her Tusk Day. A ceremony. Ruby does not want to grow up and also struggles to understand her purpose given that she is small compared to the older elephants.

This is perfect for any little kid who bemoan growing up and also has big questions about their own capabilities.

[Critter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.

This was a great read to listen to. The narrator does a great job. This story returns to Ruby to look at the anxieties of growing up and looks at how impacting the world around you in a meaningful way. It has a gentle and encouraging way of talking about these worries as Ruby goes through her tusk ceremony. I would highly recommend checking out this book as it was a lovely read.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m looking forward to sharing this book with my students, especially those who’ve read “The One and Only Ruby.” But, I also love that the story asks the questions “what gifts has the world given you?” and “what gifts have you given the world?” Great questions for thinking about both appreciation and the power kids have to make a difference.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautifully illustrated book. The story is essentially the same as The One and Only Ruby but (super) significantly abbreviated for a picture book audience. The two questions Ruby has to answer continue to move me and inspire my own introspection, so I think it's great to have them be something for readers of all ages to consider.

[Abbigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just fine. A little long for a picture book. Sweet picture book with sort of old school illustrations. I don't think the "Tuskday" plot was particularly intriguing. Kind of disappointing.

[Ashley Spilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story and illustrations I really enjoyed it!!

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book for kids.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Applegate is masterful in her storytelling. I love how this picture book introduces readers to a younger version of Ruby, as the littlest elephant!

[Kimberly Wright Oelkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best collection of books ever!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story told by Ruby, the littlest elephant in her family. It can spark the conversation with your kids about what are we doing everyday to make our world better.