Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla, written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas, was a nominee for the 2016-17 South Carolina Picture Book Award.

This wonderful book introduces young readers to the moving story of Ivan, a gorilla who was captured by poachers as a baby and sold to be an attraction in a shopping mall. Eventually, Ivan, with the help of concerned citizens and animal welfare activists, was moved to Zoo Atlanta where he lived out the rest of his days.

Those who’ve read Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan already know much of Ivan’s story. This picture book both gives a closer look at Ivan’s early years and serves as a springboard for reading more about Ivan and how gorillas and other animals are treated around the world.

Ivan is an excellent book for read-alouds with children who are learning about animals and those who are beginning to think about issues like animal rights and habitats.

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is the tale of a gorilla, and it is based on the life of a real gorilla. Now, this first-person–or first-gorilla–tale is a work of fiction, but it gives readers a glimpse of what life might be like for animals in captivity…and how those animals might view humans and the world around them.

Ivan has been a star attraction of a circus-themed mall for about twenty-seven years.  He’s made a few friends during his time at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  There’s Stella, an old elephant; Bob, a stray mutt; and Julie, a young human who introduced Ivan to the wonder of art.  Ivan is a bit bored with his life, but he really doesn’t know much else.  Most of the time, he can’t really remember what his life was like in the jungle where he was born.  (Ivan was not blessed with Stella’s memory.)

When a baby elephant named Ruby–the newest mall attraction–enters the picture, however, Ivan’s worldview begins to change.  The arrival of Ruby and a terrible tragedy make Ivan begin to think about Ruby’s circumstances…and his own.  Surely there is more than living and dying in a mall for Ivan’s newest friend.  But what can Ivan possibly do to help Ruby get to a better life?  How can he make the people around him see that life in a cage is no life at all?  There might be a way, but Ivan will have to use his considerable intelligence and artistic talent to make things change.  Will Ivan, Ruby, and their friends be ready, though, when the time for change–and a chance at a real home–arrives?  It’s up to the One and Only Ivan, great Silverback Gorilla, to make sure that whatever happens, happens for the better.

The One and Only Ivan is a fantastic book, and I cannot wait to share it with the students and teachers at my school.  I’m hoping some classes will take this on as one of their novel studies.  This book reminds me a bit of the classic Charlotte’s Web, and I think most readers who love that book will find The One and Only Ivan equally enchanting.

To learn more about this lovable book–and the real Ivan–I urge you to visit http://theoneandonlyivan.com/.  I hope you love this story as much as I did!