The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins, 2012) by Katherine Applegate is a heartbreaker and touching story. Animal lovers will especially like this book that won the 2013 Newbery award–though be prepared to be upset at what happens…
Ivan is a gorilla. In captivity. He doesn’t remember much of his life before. He lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, where he’s the main attraction. He watches TV, talks to his friends: an elderly elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob, and paints pictures. Like Julia, the mall cleaner’s daughter, he’s an artist. But people are coming less and less to see Ivan. Finally his owner, Mack, buys a baby elephant to be the new attraction. The dying Stella makes Ivan promise to find a better life for Ruby, the baby elephant. What can Ivan do to keep that promise?
Find out about the real Ivan who inspired the story here.
