Size : 20.07 x 13.72 x 3.56 cm Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
^Applegate, Katherine; Castelao, Patricia (2014). The One and Only Ivan, Harpercollins Childrens Books. BiggerBooks. ISBN 9780061992254 (revised Aug 2023)
^Katherine Applegate (2012). The One and Only Ivan, Harpercollins. Amazon. ISBN 9780061992254 (revised Feb 2015)
Parents on the qui vive for deeper stories to share with their children need look no further than Katherine Applegate's tale, "The One and Only Ivan", written from the perspective of a Silverback gorilla living in a shopping mall.Too many children are sheltered from animals, left to draw their experiences from animated movies like , and . What's missing from those stories? Humanity and tenderness; qualities you will find in abundance in this book.Applegate's story should resonate with animal lovers, too. T..
I was hesitant to chose this book thinking an animal book would be too silly or something . . . but Applegate's Home of the Brave is one of my favorite books ever so I decided to take a chance. And I am SO GLAD I DID. This book was wonderful--heartbreakingly wonderful. I just loved every character--both animal and human. Ivan the artistic gorilla, Stella the stoic mother elephant, Bob the tough on the outside but not so tough on the inside dog, and of course Ruby the baby elephant who just wants to be loved..
Katherine Applegate pens a poignant yet gentle story that perpetuates George Eliot's message that "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Ivan's honest, first-person, stream of conscious narration hooked me from page one. I appreciated his thoughts. His restraint. His passion. His powerful examination and use of words. His kindness. I wanted to be Julia so I could be his friend. I wanted to be the one to give him crayons. Ivan's use of art as a means of expressing his individuality, connecti..
