Module 4, The ONE and ONLY Ivan

Cover
The ONE and ONLY Ivan, By Katherine Applegate

Overview: The One and Only Ivan is about a gorilla that lives in a mall with a few other animals. Ivan was captured as baby and knows next to nothing about his original habitat in the wild. At the mall there are other animals who have been kept in captivity throughout  their lives after also being taken from the wild. One is an adult elephant who serves as the mother of the group. The other is a baby elephant, both Ivan and the baby elephant Ruby look to Stella the mother elephant for support. After Ruby arrives Ivan decides he does not want the same fate that he has had for Ruby and devises a plan for them to escape the mall. In the end Ivan changes their future with his drawings and makes an brave leap as gorilla in the wild.

Applegate, K. (2012). The one and only Ivan. New York: NY. Harper Collins.

Little Library Review:  The simplistic style of the writing created a very believable and somewhat helpless feel to the world in which Ivan lives. Simple statement sentence sand sentence fragments add to the very basic understanding that Ivan has of the world. It is a view into the eyes of an animal living in captivity in a habitat far from his/her natural environment. It really makes the readers reflect and think of animals in captivity from another perspective.

Other Professional Reviews: Gr 3-7—This tender tale of friendship and hope is narrated by a silverback gorilla living at The Big Top Mall, a shabby, circus-themed roadside attraction. For years, Ivan was passively content. He had his art, unlimited bananas, and his friends: Stella (an elephant), Bob (a stray dog), and Julia (a human child). Ivan’s eyes are finally opened to his deplorable surroundings when he loses a friend due to neglect. The last straw is when he witnesses the attraction’s owner abusing Ruby, a newly acquired baby elephant. Thus, Ivan is inspired to take action. With some help from his human friends, his dream of a better life for all the Big Top’s animals just might come true. The character of Ivan, as explained in an author’s note, is inspired by a real gorilla that lived through similar conditions before being adopted by Zoo Atlanta. Applegate makes a powerful statement about the treatment of animals—especially those living in captivity—and reminds readers that all creatures deserve a safe place to call home. Castelao’s delightful illustrations enhance this lovely story, and the characters will capture readers’ hearts and never let go. A must-have.—Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI.

LeMerise, A. (2013). SLJ reviews for top media award winners. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2013/01/industry-news/slj-reviews-for-top-youth-media-award-winners/

Using it in the Library 📖: Activities and lessons that could be done with this book could be: examining the book from multiple perspectives of the characters in the book, a research project on animals in captivity, a character analysis of Ivan as a character and his change through out the story.