The One and Only Ivan

Chapter Book: Realistic Fiction/ Newberry Honor Medalist

Applegate, K. (2012). The One and Only Ivan. Harper Collins Publishers.

The story, The One and Only Ivan, is a fictional story based on the true events of a gorilla living alone, in captivity, at a circus-themed mall in Washington state.  The book tells the tale of a easy-going silverback gorilla who spends his time talking to his 'neighbors' in the mall - an old female elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob.  Ivan also enjoys watching TV inside his cage, eating bananas, and coloring with various materials, mostly provided by his human friend, Julia.  While he is living his simple, lonely life within the mall, the new arrival of Ruby, a baby elephant, changes things forever.  I really enjoy this book because, even though it is discussing the life of a gorilla, I found it to be very relatable.  Additionally, the book is based off several true events, making the sometimes sticky topics of animal rights and behaviors very real and apparent.  I think reading The One and Only Ivan would be a great book to choose for either a group reading, or a book in a literature circle in a fourth or fifth grade classroom.

In reading this book as apart of a literature circle within a fourth or fifth grade classroom, there are several different paths of discussion you could cover.  The book is very well written so, as a group, you could discuss the several various components it takes when writing or evaluating literature such as the theme of a story, the importance of certain phrasing and wording, etc.  Some sample discussion questions could include:

Compare the personalities of Mack and George.  What makes them alike? What makes them different?

Why does Ivan promise Stella that he will take care of Ruby when he knows how hard it will be to keep that promise?

What does Stella mean when she says, " Old age is a powerful disguise" (p. 31)


 Additionally, when discussing the book as a whole, several important themes become apparent.  To me, the biggest theme I got out of the book was the idea of animal rights and captivity.  To extend idea of animal rights and equality beyond discussion students could begin to research the real history of Ivan and how it influenced the writing of this book.  The character of Ivan is very much a real gorilla who lived in the Atlanta Zoo, however, prior to living there he spent 27 lonely years in a mall in Washington State.  Children could research the "true" story of Ivan the gorilla, learning more about the "behind the pages" action that was Ivan's life.  Additionally, focusing around the theme of animal rights, children could research an animal that is endangered or abused in a certain part of the world and write letters and design propaganda to be sent to authorities in charge.  I think the story of Ivan really touches the hearts of many children, and by giving them a chance to potentially save another animal is really motivating for them.