The One and Only Ivan
Ratings37
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings37
Average rating4.2
Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
Featured Series
3 primary booksThe One and Only Ivan is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2012 with contributions by Katherine Applegate.
Reviews with the most likes.
Elegantly emotional and beautifully written. I teared up at the end. Though written for a younger audience, I think my Battle kids will really enjoy this next year.
There's definitely a minimalist beauty to this simple story about Ivan and his friends.
It's a quick read, though it's fully satisfying and powerful. I enjoyed it quite a lot.
I decided to read this book because my daughter was reading it for school. She's a third grader, and this is the first time that I'm aware of that she's read a novel at school. I was excited!
This is a truly wonderful book. It's often quite sad, but the best books, the ones that really touch you, usually are. It really feels like it's written from the perspective of the gorilla. If I thought that gorillas could actually talk and write, I would believe that this was the gorilla's actual journal. I found myself briefly wondering how the author learned this story from the gorilla before I reminded myself that gorillas can't actually talk, and this gorilla's internal dialogue is a fantasy.
It's also written in such a way that it seems outside of time. The story is probably intended to have taken place in the recent past, but it never hints at a time period and feels very timeless.
I saw quotes saying that this book was a great animal book in the tradition of Charlotte's Web. It exceeded expectations.
Very touching! I would have loved this as a kid and thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult.
