The One and Only Ivan
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When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
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branch_reviews thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 9 and 13
andreajang thinks this title is suitable for All Ages
EveS thinks this title is suitable for All Ages
sential thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 6 and 13
cherrydani thinks this title is suitable for 7 years and over
BookFairy119 thinks this title is suitable for 9 years and over
ELIZABETH RAMSEY BIRD thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 9 and 12
Summary
Add a SummaryBasically what we have here is Charlotte’s Web if you took that tiny spider and replaced her with a 300-pound gorilla. Which, to be frank, would normally bode badly for said gorilla. And certainly badly is how Ivan, the titular hero of this tale, bodes when you consider that he is trapped in an off-highway mall circus. Ivan’s never questioned his fate seriously, considering that he’s been there for twenty-seven years. Then one day Mack, the owner of the mall, decides that the only way to drum up more business will be to buy a new resident. There’s already Ivan and Stella, the elephant with an injured foot that doesn’t seem to be getting better. To this mix comes Ruby, a baby elephant not long captured from her home in the wild. Thanks to Ruby, Ivan sees that this is no place for a baby of any sort and he must use all his brains and intelligence to find a way to save not just her but himself as well.
Quotes
Add a QuoteBob, who has been chewing his tail, pauses, tilting his head. "Is that a true story?" "I always tell the truth," Stella replies. "Although I sometimes confuse the facts."
In my new life as a human, I was well tended. I ate lettuce leaves with Thousand Island dressing, and caramel apples, and popcorn with butter. My belly ballooned. But hunger, like food, comes in many shapes and colors. At night, lying alone in my Pooh pajamas, I felt hungry for the skilled touch of a grooming friend, for the cheerful grunts of a play fight, for the easy safety of my nearby troop, foraging through shadows. . . . Sometimes I lay awake, wishing for the warmth of another just like me, asleep in a night nest of tender prayer-plant leaves. I liked having sips of soda poured into my mouth like a bubbling waterfall. But every now and then, I longed to search for a tender stalk of arrowroot, to feel the tease of a mango, just out of reach.
“Human babies are an ugly lot. But their eyes are like our babies’ eyes. Too big for their faces, and for the world.”
“Humans always smell odd when change is in the air. Like rotten meat with a hint of papaya.”
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The One and Only Ivan Book Trailer
The official book trailer for Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan.
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Add a CommentSimple and approachable while at the same time subtle and complex. Intelligent, compassionate, honest, sad, dramatic, fantastical, gritty, and hopeful in all the right amounts. Predictable yet still suspenseful. About a small cast of animals. About humanity. Entertaining. Insightful.
This is a heartwarming story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall for 28 years. We learn of his friendship with Stella, an aging elephant, Bob, the stray dog and the newest resident of The Big Top Mall, Ruby, a baby elephant. The novel is told in first person narrative by Ivan. This makes the paragraphs and chapters short as befits a gorilla storyteller. Ivan’s story is interesting, sad at times, but full of hope, humour and love. The author, Katherine Applegate, based the story on the real life Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla who lived in a tiny cage for many years before public outcry saw him moved to Zoo Atlanta where he became something of a celebrity, creating many paintings that he signed with his thumbprint. The Ivan of our story is also an artist and it’s through his paintings and the help of his human friend, Julia, the mall caretaker’s daughter and fellow artist, that Ivan is able to help himself and his friends to a better life. The One and Only Ivan is a 2013 Newbery Medal winner. Reviewed by RC
AW; DSA; JH
This was recommended and thoroughly lived up to expectations. A simple, heartwrenching story of the lives of animals in a "mall zoo", the narrative is a gorilla - the one and only Ivan. Through friendship, the power of art and the strength to try, lives are changed forever. Although written for a juvenile audience, I enjoyed the book as an adult reader. From the author of the Animorphs series and the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books. Highly recommended.
this book for me is wonderful if you are an animal love this is the book and everyone should read this loving book and this is a true story
Great Book! Written by one of my favourite authors, would appeal to children AND adults. Chapters are short, as Ivan, the caged gorilla living in a highway-exit-arcade-tourist-attraction, makes observations about his world. Ivan is a gorilla of few words but quite profound and indeed comical. Children will read this story because of the book’s setting; but adults will enjoy the deeper statements of Ivan. The author has given voice to a true story of a gorilla in captivity that eventually is given a new life in a wildlife zoo. Well written!
I'm only a few chapters into this book and I am very impressed. I actually did not initally notice that this book was written by my childhood favourite author, KA Applegate. It's to her Animorphs series that I give some credit for helping me develop a love of reading, and eventually led me to my career in working in libraries. KA has a knack for narrating an animal's perspective. Ivan, the gorilla living in a dying tourist attraction zoo, is a very thoughtful, contenplative gorilla. The narative is witty and a bit profound. Making the reader the option to meditate on the observances which Ivan has made. So depending on the age of the reader, they can either read it as a story, or dwell on the psychological, and intuitive concepts that Ivan encounters. The book is astounding getting a viewpoint of an animal living in a zoo. I'm very happy to have found this book! Appeal to children, 7+ but adults would enjoy this book too. I would relate this book to Katherine Appelt's "The underneath"
a book of the year. pretty good.
I read this story aloud to my 10 year old and we both enjoyed it so much. I was moved to tears many times. I recommend this story to anyone and everyone. I now consider it my all-time favourite story and I'm 40 years old!
This is a children's book, which this not-even-close-to-childhood woman loved. It is a book of minimal words, which seems to be the way a gorilla would tell his tale, if he were to do so. Ivan is such a fantastic character, along with Bob the dog - his best buddy - and Ruby the baby elephant. It is a quick read, and profoundly moving.