The One and Only Ivan: My Story [Kindle Edition]

Katherine Applegate (Author), Patricia Castelao (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2011:

"How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage . . . Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author's note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates." 

"From the first page to the last, you will hope, cry and rejoice with Ivan and his friends.  This truly is a 'One and Only Novel'!" (Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshop)

"The One and Only Ivan will break your heart--and then, against all odds, mend it again.  Such a gentle fantasy is rare; such an evocation of our need to grow, to be free, to become our best selves, is rarer still." (Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor author of The Wednesday Wars) 

"Kindness and its ability to change lives shines through on every single page of this book. . . Katherine Applegate's beautiful, life-affirming story will soar directly from Ivan's heart into your own." (Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor author of The Underneath)

"Beautifully written, intelligent, and brave, this story is life-changing." (Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery Medalist, Sarah, Plain and Tall)

Product Description

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 802 KB
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 17, 2012)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005DIB6GG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,426 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Zoos
  • #11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Apes & Monkeys
  • #34 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Zoos

More About the Author

Katherine Applegate's many books include the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series, the picture book The Buffalo Storm, and the award-winning novel Home of the Brave. With her husband, Michael Grant, she wrote the hugely popular series Animorphs, which has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide.

Katherine was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan after reading about the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, the Shopping Mall Gorilla. The real Ivan lived alone in a tiny cage for twenty-seven years at a shopping mall before being moved to Zoo Atlanta after a public outcry. He is now a beloved celebrity at the zoo, which houses the nation's largest collection of western lowland gorillas. Ivan is well known for his paintings, which he "signs" with a thumb-print.

Katherine lives in California with her husband and two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, December 21, 2011

By 

Cathe Fein Olson "Avid reader and writer" (curled up with a book) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The One and Only Ivan (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

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. And the humans: George the sympathetic caretaker and his daughter Julie, a bit like Fern in Charlotte's web because she can almost understand Ivan--or at least understand his art. Every character was real--even Mack the owner of the menagerie, though we hate what he's doing, there is more too him than just badness. The situation was just so sad but so well done--the minute I finished the book, I immediately passed it on to my daughter . . . maybe not the best idea to give it to her at bedtime though because I could not get her to turn out her light, she was so immediately drawn into the book. I highly recommend this moving book which teaches compassion towards animals.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Gorilla Perspective Story, December 27, 2011

By 

J. Wiles Parker (here and there) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The One and Only Ivan (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I think I was hoping to be totally amazed by the fact a gorilla was telling the story, but other than giving the book a different view point from the start, which I'm sure many younger readers will love, I was not nearly as enchanted by it. I did like Ivan's ability to tell things straight and be totally serious about it (because who else but a gorilla would tell you what finger paint tastes like?).
The book has a good, if not a bit used storyline, but it works from the differing perspective of Ivan. Applegate obviously knows her audience and that shows at times, but even that cannot keep the book from falling totally into the oblivion of being a 'kids' book just for kids.
The inclusion of human characters with their own intriguing (if not fully fleshed out) stories is a nice touch that helps balance the starkness of Ivan's narrative. So, great for younger readers as there's nothing particularly objectionable and good for parents who will find the book quite read-aloudable. I enjoyed it, but I was not completely blown away by the story or the writing or the characterization. Clever perspective and storytelling, but not to the point of perfection or my own ability to totally suspend disbelief. Well worth a go, though.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to categorize; well worth reading, January 19, 2012

By 

M. Knapp "Maggie Knapp" (Fort Worth, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The One and Only Ivan (Hardcover)

Not since Charlotte wove "SOME PIG" into her web have animal friends tried so hard to save each other. Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a sad animal show in an aging mall tells the story of his long and lonely days with four-legged friends Stella and Bob and Ruby. Many paragraphs consist of one or two sentences, and few chapters run more than three pages, making this a fast read for 'tweens. (These short narrative bursts might well be how a gorilla thinks!) The story itself is tender and sometimes sad. Applegate doesn't skirt the details of animals captured in the jungle, but she tempers these details with humor and the love of humans Julie and George. Even Mack, though motivated by profit, seems to have a heart buried within. I see this as a story read with an adult nearby, so that there is a chance to discuss some of the harsher moments, and smile together at Ivan's heroic efforts to find Ruby a better home. Be sure to read the author's note at the end, where she tells which parts of the story are based on actual occurences.