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. Her signature charm and light touch, echoed in Maland’s illustrations, complement Burnett’s renowned creation. These characters, including Sara in a small but key role, are more nuanced than their originals, and McKay is never didactic. Struggling to fill Sara’s shoes, caring for Lottie and feeding the rat Melchisedec, sturdy Ermengarde discovers her own strength. The discovery that girls can attend Oxford prompts Lavinia to put her strong will to use she vows to go herself, an opportunity she recognizes was denied to the young Miss Minchin.

Alice, Becky’s assertive replacement, refuses to sleep in the attic she’s no doormat. Miss Minchin is shattered, Lavinia bored, Ermengarde and Lottie bereft-and bigger changes are afoot. Sara Crewe and Becky have left Miss Minchin’s academy for girls.

As such, this slyly engaging follow-up to A Little Princess is a welcome surprise.

Sequels to beloved classics penned by contemporary authors have at best a mixed track record, and the author of the quirky Casson family novels makes an unlikely successor to Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Wishing for Tomorrow by Hilary McKay