The One and Only Ivan [Hardcover]

Katherine Applegate (Author), Patricia Castelao (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 17, 2012 | Age Range: 8 and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012

Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books 2012

Amazon 2012 Best Books of the Year, Middle Grade

Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2012

New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing, 2012

Cybils shortlist, 2012 middle grade fantasy (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards)

Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2013-14 Master List

2012 Nerdies Book Award, middle grade fiction

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews:
"How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.”

Starred Review, School Library Journal: 
“The characters will capture readers’ hearts and never let go.  A must-have.”

Starred Review, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: 
“Extraordinary.”

"Discover an animal hero that will take his place with other courageous and beloved animals such as Babe, Mrs. Frisby, Charlotte and Wilbur. Adults reading this aloud with children will find it just as rewarding.” 
--Shelf Awareness

“The best book of 2012.” 
--John Schumacher (Watch. Connect. Read. blogger and 2014 Newbery committee member) and Travis Jonker (School Library Journal  blogger, 100 Scope Notes, and 2014 Caldecott committee member)

"Beautifully written, intelligent, and brave book…Quite simply, this story is life-changing.”
--Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery Medalist, Sarah, Plain and Tall

"The One and Only Ivan will break your heart--and then, against all odds, mend it again."
--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.”
--Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor author of The Underneath

From the Author

When I started to write about the grim facts of the real Ivan's solitary existence, a new tale slowly began to take shape.  At least on the page, where anything is possible, I wanted to give Ivan (even while captive behind the walls of his tiny cage) a voice of his own and a story to tell.

For more about the book, visit theoneandonlyivan.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (January 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061992259
• ISBN-13: 978-0061992254
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (365 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Friendship
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Apes & Monkeys

More About the Author

Katherine Applegate's many books include the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series, a picture book entitled 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 was a beloved celebrity at the zoo, which houses the nation's largest collection of western lowland gorillas, and was well known for his paintings, which he "signed" with a thumb-print.

Katherine lives in California with her husband and two children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 87 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A tale of humanity and tenderness, from a gorilla's perspective February 27, 2012

By Jared Castle TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Parents on the qui vive for deeper stories to share with their children need look no further than Katherine Applegate's tale, "The One and Only Ivan", written from the perspective of a Silverback gorilla living in a shopping mall.

Too many children are sheltered from animals, left to draw their experiences from animated movies like Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and Alvin and the Chipmunks. What's missing from those stories? Humanity and tenderness; qualities you will find in abundance in this book.

Applegate's story should resonate with animal lovers, too. The gorilla lives a simple, sad life with only a couple friends, including Bob, a stray dog, and Stella, an aging elephant. The years of living behind a glass wall at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade has numbed Ivan to his own misery. He is barely self-aware of his suffering until the arrival of a baby elephant named Ruby arouses emotions long dormant in Ivan.

I read the book to my sons as a bedtime story. The first-person narrative hooked them after only a few pages. The chapters are short, which makes it easy to reach a stopping point each night. A word of caution, only the cold-hearted will finish this book without feeling a pang or shedding a tear. My sons' enthusiasm has me considering The Yearling, a Pulitzer Prize winning classic, for our next bedtime book.

In summary, I'm a bit tired of Harry Potterish fantasy novels. The One and Only Ivan is an emotionally satisfying tale. My advice for parents is to read the story to their children, especially those under age 10.

Rating: Five stars.

MAY 2013 Update: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Patricia Castelao is the 2013 winner of the John Newbery Medal, awarded annually by the American Library Association (ALA) to the author of the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Since my initial review, both of my sons (now ages 10 and 9) have taken this book off their bookshelf for private reading, following my bedtime narration. Ivan's story resonates with them still.

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful December 21, 2011

By Cathe Fein Olson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (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.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Experience November 4, 2012

By Stacy Loyd

Format:Hardcover

Katherine Applegate pens a poignant yet gentle story that perpetuates George Eliot's message that "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Ivan's honest, first-person, stream of conscious narration hooked me from page one. I appreciated his thoughts. His restraint. His passion. His powerful examination and use of words. His kindness. I wanted to be Julia so I could be his friend. I wanted to be the one to give him crayons. Ivan's use of art as a means of expressing his individuality, connecting with others, and promoting social justice is a beautiful tribute to the role that art can play in each of our lives.

Applegate skillfully created powerful text structure that authentically invites deeper reading. The glossary at the beginning guides readers to approach the text from a learner's stance. It establishes the expectation that this book is about ready to share some powerful information. And the book doesn't disappoint. Each entry is labeled at the top with a humanly significant theme that enables us to experience the internal development of a hero. Patricia Castelao's emotional sketches align with Applegate's restraint and compliment the reflective tone of the narrative. Applegate's simple sentence structure, poetic use of words, and use of white space create a poetic reading experience. I am already anticipating Katherine Applegate's next book and look forward to sharing this book with students young and old.