Applegate,
Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. Harper,
New York, 2012. 305 pages. Tr. $16.99
ISBN 9780061992254
Plot
Description:
Ivan is a silver back gorilla who has spent most of
his life living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall.
Though Ivan was born in the wild, he does not remember much about his
parents or his sister, since he was captured and sold as a baby. When Ivan was young and cute he drew a large
crowd at the Exit 8 mall, but now he mostly spends his days in his domain watching
television or drawing picture to be sold in the gift shop. Ivan’s only friends are Bob and stray dog,
Stella the elephant in the cage next to his and Julia, the daughter of the
janitor, who comes into work with her father and draws with Ivan. Then one day the Exit 8 mall gets a new
resident, a baby elephant named Ruby.
Ruby is understandably scared, but Stella immediately takes to the
younger elephant. But Stella is sick and
knows she will die soon, so she charges Ivan with taking care of Ruby and he
makes it his mission to find a better home for Ruby.
Review:
Applegate’s The
One and Only Ivan is a sweet tale about friendship and love. The One
and Only Ivan is a quick read that will pull at your heartstrings and when
you read about how Ivan, Stella, and Ruby are mistreated. Despite the emotional element in Applegate’s
Newberry winning novel, I did not feel particularly attached to the characters
and believe Applegate could have done more to develop the personalities of the
animals. While Applegate could have
developed her characters a bit more, the overall tone of the story is charming,
which is accentuated by the cute illustrations by Patricia Castelao.
Genre:
Fantasy
Reading
Level/Interest Level:
Grades 4-7
Similar
Books:
The
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Awards/Honors:
ALA Notable Children’s Book 2013
Newbery Award 2013
Author’s
Website:
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