Leroy Ninker Saddles Up

DiCamillo’s protagonist, Leroy Ninker starts his arc as a whimsical dreamer, content with merely wishing to be a cowboy, and evolves over the course of the story to embody a cowboy’s loyal and courageous ethos. One of Van Dusen’s first illustrations depicts him wistfully watching a Western with his hand on his cheek (3). However, the nudge from his co-worker, Beatrice Leapaleoni, to “take fate in [his] hands and wrestle it to the ground” serves as the novel’s inciting incident, prompting Leroy to take action and introducing the novel’s thematic exploration of The Importance of Following One’s Dreams (8). DiCamillo describes the moment Beatrice’s advice sparks something in Leroy, saying: “The cowboy started to run. He was heading to meet the horse of his dreams! There was no time to waste!” (14). By taking active steps toward his dream, Leroy begins to view his dream as attainable. By transforming his wishful thinking into action, Leroy begins a dynamic character arc, progressively building confidence over the course of the narrative.

Leroy’s single-minded focus on his way to buy the horse emphasizes the novel’s thematic interest in Overcoming Obstacles with Determination and Positivity. When a boy from a passing car calls him “tiny,” instead of feeling dejected, he “[stands] up straighter” and reminds himself of his goal (12). When he’s hit by a can thrown from another car, Leroy thinks, “‘Don’t get agitated […] Just keep thinking about your horse’” (13). In both moments, Leroy refocuses on his goal and remains positive, encouraging himself not to give up. Leroy’s encounter highlights one kind of challenge in life: naysayers who attempt to make a person feel small. However, instead of deflating and giving up, Leroy’s words and actions underscore how being positive and resilient can empower a person to overcome such negativity.

In Leroy’s first meeting with Maybelline. DiCamillo introduces The Need for Friendship and Community as a central theme in the novel. When Patty outlines the rules for taking care of the horse, she notes that Maybelline is motivated by compliments. When Leroy tells her that she is beautiful, Maybelline “prick[s] up her ears. She twitche[s] the left ear to the right and the right ear to the left. Both ears [quiver] hopefully” (27). The horse’s attention is peaked because she “hopes” for more kind words—a desire visually represented by Van Dusen in the drawing where Leroy sits in the saddle with Maybelline glancing back at him with her mouth expectantly open (28). Patty’s admonition that “Maybelline is the kind of horse who gets lonesome quick” and “is not the kind of horse who cares to be left behind” emphasizes the animal’s need for companionship. Being with others is essential to her well-being (23).