Joe Grover is Marty's son, the head zookeeper (later owner of the zoo), and a character from the Just So Movie.
Background[]
Joe had been sharing his father's dream ever since he was a boy and made good friends with Bigmouth, Humphrey, Wrinkles, Spot, Trunksworth, Joey, Penny, Arnold, Clyde, Carl, and Floyd. When Joe grew up, he became the head zookeeper. But even after Marty died and a statue of him was built, Joe kept doing his best to keep the zoo running until the whole place became run down, people stopped coming, the zoo staff either quit or retired, and all the animals got sent back to the wild (except Bigmouth, Humphrey, Wrinkles, Spot, Trunksworth, Joey, Penny, Arnold, and Clyde). Then again, Joe and his animal friends won't give up their hope.
Joe first appears as a boy wearing zoo clothes. When he becomes a man and the head zookeeper, he wears a blue shirt and cap, brown dress shoes, khaki pants, a name tag, and a black belt with a walkie-talkie. Later in the end, Joe wears the same clothes as his father did.
Appearances[]
In the movie, Joe is seen as kid with his father who shares his dream with him; later the boy grows up to be the head zookeeper before his father's death. Joe tries to keep the zoo running until it becomes run down.
When Julia McSteller comes to tell him that he must pay his debt within two days or the zoo will be shut down, Sally Fletcher becomes smitten to him, despite her bosses orders. Ms. Fletcher tells Mr. Grover that she will do anything to help him since she likes animals and the zoo.
After Sally and Julia leave, Joe glumly tells the Main Eleven that he's out of ideas then goes into his office to look at a picture of his dad, knowing that he would know what to do. In Julia's apartment, Sally looks at a picture of the head zookeeper against her boss' wishes.
After the animals visit their ancestors and realize that they can save the zoo, thanks to Mother Nature, Joe comes to feed them for the last time; since he is unable to understand what they're saying about what learned last night, he sadly tells them that he has no choice but to sell the zoo then returns to his office to pack his things while looking at his dad's picture and singing, "I Just Can't Do It". Mother Nature then shows up to tell Mr. Grover what the Main Eleven were trying to tell him and what she did for them. She then tells Joe that she will take him back in time to see his ancestors just as she did for the animals, although he doubts that it will change his mind.
While Joe is asleep at night, Mother Nature, who is true to her word, takes him back in time to see his ancestors. Joe watches his ancestors while the whole stories of "How the First Letter was Written" and "How the Alphabet was Made" being acted out, though it rather surprises him a bit, but makes him come to senses as Mother Nature tells him that his ancestors had dreamed of inventing the first letter and the alphabet just as his father dreamed of opening the zoo.
The next day, when the Main Eleven has lost hope and decides to make the best of living in their natural habitats (although they don't know what Julia has in mind for them), Joe arrives, not minding that most of them are out of their enclosures and tells them that they can save the zoo. When Julia and Sally return so the landlady can carry out her plan, Joe stands up to the animal-hating woman, refusing to give up the zoo, much to her dismay.
Angered, Julia is about to grab Joe, but Carl, Clyde, Penny, Arnold, Wrinkles, Spot, Joey, Trunksworth, Bigmouth, and Humphrey attack her. Joe and Sally are guided by Floyd to Julia's car where find the landlady's plans for turning the zoo into a shopping mall and selling the animals to become museum pieces (Joe tells Sally that he's not blaming her since she didn't anything to do with it). Once the police arrive, Joe shows them Ms. McSteller's plans as well as a document for the zoo. After looking at the evidence, the police chief congratulates Marty's son saying that the zoo shall remain open for years to come and that his father would be very proud of him. Sally kisses Joe to reveal her love for him.
After Julia is arrested and Sally quits working for her, Joe thanks Sally and his animal friends for their help, then he and his girlfriend leave to fix up the zoo. Later, Joe takes his father's place as owner of the zoo, marries Sally, hires new zookeepers, brings in new animals (including mates for the Main Eleven), and has a baby with Sally.
Video Games[]
Joe appears in the Just So Game as a non-playable character who the players can communicate with.
Trivia[]
- Joe is a little similar to Pearl from Home on the Range as well as Rodney Copperbottom and Bigweld from Robots.
- Even though he's friends with the Main Eleven, he can't understand their languages since animals don't speak human.