Will I love The One and Only Ivan?

Ivan was a real gorilla. I saw him years ago, so I felt immediately connected to this middle-grade novel. The real Ivan was a roadside attraction at Tacoma, Washington's B & I Circus Store. He lived alone in a glass-sided room watching television.

My family and I watched him rocking and pacing in about 1983. Even my preschoolers wanted to leave. So I loved reading Appelgate’s book, which was inspired by his story and written from the animals’ point of view. The animals take charge and create a happy ending.

In real life, when the public took up the lonely… show more.

I wish humans were better at caring for this planet, with all of its wonderful yet fragile biodiversity. I start tearing up whenever I think about this book, which is based on the true story of Ivan, the beautiful gorilla. Told from Ivan’s perspective, this tender, poignant, humorous story will give you a sense of hope even while breaking your heart. Ivan was captured as a baby in West Africa and brought over to the U.S. to be a household pet. And when he grew too large, he was forced to live in a cage in a mall in Washington,… show more.

This book might just be my all-time favorite children’s book. I fell in love with Ivan, the silverback gorilla living as an exhibit in a shopping mall, on page one. I connected with the universal themes of friendship and learning to take risks for those we love.

The English teacher in me loved the sparse, poetic language. Ivan’s story is a timeless tale for readers of all ages. It’s a hopeful story of beauty and sadness, and I plan to return to it again and again.

Do not say I didn’t warn you: this book requires a box of tissues. It’s told from the perspective of a gorilla named Ivan, who is stuck in a glass enclosure in a shopping mall. Stay with me on this; I can feel you doubting me. When Ivan befriends a baby elephant named Ruby, who is taken from the wild, he begins to see his circumstances in a whole new way, and discovers that art might be a ticket to freedom. Okay, I know what you are thinking: I am a grown up. I do not read books told from… show more.

Not one but two elephants star in this novel voiced in poetic vignettes by Ivan the gorilla. The animals are held in neighboring “domains” in a grotesque suburban mall setting. Ivan’s heart and mind drive the story, but compassion is made real by Stella, the older elephant. Her relationship with Ivan sheds light on their desperate circumstances. Ruby, the baby elephant, serves as a little beacon of hope, drawing the best from Ivan. Inspired by a true story, this book raised so many questions in my mind—about animal captivity, home, friendship, family, and community.