The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This Newbery Award-winning novel is told from the perspective of a captive gorilla named Ivan. Ivan lives in a glass “domain” at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He tries not to remember his home in the jungle, where he and his twin sister were taken by poachers. Instead, he fills his time with watching tv, talking to Stella and Bob, and creating art. Stella is an older, wise elephant who was bought from a circus once she became injured, and Bob is a stray dog who finds his way into the mall and Ivan’s enclosure.

When a new animal, a baby elephant named Ruby, joins them at the Big Top Mall, everything changes. Ivan has always analyzed and been baffled by human behavior. This continues as the mall owner, Mack, becomes abusive toward the new elephant and Stella dies from his neglect. Ivan knows he has to do something to save their new friend from spending the rest of her life in the mall performing in shows and enduring cruelty from Mack. Ivan shows courage and bravery as he, along with help from George, the nighttime janitor, and his daughter, Julia, create a plan to free the animals from the Big Top Mall using his artistic talent.

This novel is inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla named Ivan. It has also been made into a motion picture.

Reading Level: Ages 8-12
Read Aloud Age: 8+

This is a story that highlights friendship and courage. It is told through small chapters, that sometimes read like poetry. This helps to make it an easy read-aloud, even though the book has 300 pages. Ivan also talks to you as if you were a friend using simple, kid-friendly language. His perception of the human world is interesting and comical throughout the book. Such as when he describes people using money as passing “green paper, dry as old leaves and smelling of a thousand hands, back and forth and back again.”

The story invokes heavy emotions through the death of a beloved character and instances of animal abuse. There are many graphic descriptions of when the animals and their families were mistreated and sometimes killed. This story may not be one for your child if they have a tender heart, especially when it comes to animals.

No heavy themes, except for animal abuse, are graphically described but there are many things implied, like alcohol abuse and divorce. This is a book I would recommend reading with your child to make sure they understand the inferences.

There is a heart-warming ending that will leave you with tears of joy for the characters that survive living at the Big Top Mall.

Language:
“Slimy Chimp” is an offensive term given to humans by Ivan. It refers to sweat on hairless skin.

Mack asks Ivan “What the heck is this?” upon seeing his artwork. This expression is also used later in the book when Ivan finally gets really angry and beats his chest.

When Mack brings Ruby to the Big Top Mall, he calls out that she is there to “save their sorry butts.” Ivan says Mack also says a word “he uses when he’s angry.” When Ruby is refusing to get out of the truck he tells her “doggone it, get a clue, Ruby.”

In reference to Stella’s infected leg, Mack says the “darn thing never does heal up right.”

Ivan refers to his escape plan as a “stupid idea.”

Mack answers the phone with “What the—”

Ivan describes the Big Top Mall as being a prison.

Questionable Behaviors:
When angry, Ivan throws “me-balls.” These are described as being dried excrement in the glossary at the beginning of the book.

Ivan describes an old animal neighbor of his, a seal. This seal ate 100 pennies that had been tossed into her plastic pool. Mack says she will be fine, but Ivan says “he was mistaken,” implying the animal dies.

Stella tells about the “claw-stick” that was used at the circus if the trick was not performed correctly by the elephants. It is described as being able to pierce thick elephant hide like a leaf as it came swinging.

When angry, Mack will throw things, stomp off and slam doors. He kicks trash cans and turns over tables. He struggles with his anger throughout the book.

When Bob was just a few weeks old, he and his brothers and sisters were thrown out of a truck onto the freeway. Unfortunately only Bob survived by rolling into a ditch.

One day a boy and a girl come to see Ivan in his domain, they spit and throw handfuls of pebbles at his glass window.

Stella tells a story of a little boy who falls into a gorilla exhibit at a zoo. Jambo, the silverback, doesn’t harm/kill him and the humans find it odd.

Mack is very aggressive when trying to get Ruby out of the truck and into the mall. There is slamming, pushing, shoving, shouting, etc.

When Ivan is remembering his life when he was first bought by Mack and lived with him, he makes mention of Helen, Mack’s wife. He describes lots of “loud talking” and that one day Helen packed her bags, slammed the door, and never came back. Divorce is not explicitly discussed, but implied.

Mack comes in one morning after Stella’s death and Ivan says he “has a sharp smell. He weaves as he walks.” Ivan also describes his red eyes and that he mumbles. Here it is implied that Mack is under the influence of alcohol.

Mack is very aggressive with Ruby one day in the ring as they are practicing the routine for the show. Mack threatens to hit her with the claw-stick and Ruby slaps her trunk into Mack. Ivan describes the area Mack was hit as being “below the stomach” and that he is observed in a lot of pain. Bob makes the comment “direct hit.”

When watching westerns on his tv, Ivan describes the men having guns, and that the sheriff always saves them from the bad guys. Once when Mack makes him angry, Ivan imagines what it would be like being the sheriff, implying he would like to get rid of Mack.

Once news of how the animals are treated at the Big Top Mall is made public through a news interview, protestors begin to arrive with signs. They stand outside the mall and chant while holding their signs. The protestors want Ruby freed and the mall shut down.

When the veterinarians from the zoo come, Ivan is scared and does a loud chest beating. The doctor says “We’re going to need to put this one under.”

Sexual Content:
Ivan and Bob watch romance movies on his tv. He says there is lots of “hugging and face licking.”

There is a macaw at the mall who tells Mack “Kiss me, big boy” and “pucker up.”

One western Ivan and Bob watch is also a romance. The sheriff marries the woman from the saloon, which is described as a watering hole for humans, not horses. An ad comes on, which Ivan says is hardly romantic, unless the humans are brushing their teeth before they face lick.

When Julia is telling Ivan goodbye, she slips him a drawing where he is holding hands with a “lovely gorilla. She has red lips and a flower in her hair.”

Once Ivan is introduced to the other gorillas at the zoo, he admires a female named Kinyani. He describes her as beautiful. There is a small chapter titled Romance, where Ivan talks about how to impress Kinyani. “Make eye contact. Show your form. Strut. Grunt.” He also states that romance is hard work, it looks much easier on tv. In the next chapter titled “More about Romance” Ivan mises Bob and his advice, he tries to remember all the romance movies they watched together. Ivan also says “it’s fun trying.” When he tells the story of his family to the group of gorillas, Kinyani moves closer and they sit shoulder to shoulder together in the sun.

Other Things to Know:
There are multiple references to animal abuse which is suffered by all of the animals at some point. These can be graphic. The animals also remember other family members who were killed, not captured. Ruby tells the others “bad humans killed my family, and bad humans sent me here.” But, she also tells of a time when good humans saved her when she fell in a hole. Ivan remembers the cramped crate he and his sister were put into, that smelled of “urine and fear.” He also describes the poachers chopping off the hands, feet, and heads of his mother and father after they were shot. There is a store near Ivan’s cage that sells an ashtray made from a gorilla hand. When Stella dies, due to Mack’s neglect, Ivan describes the workers throwing her body into a garbage truck using a forklift.

The animals question the human behavior they observe throughout the book. This behavior is normal, but the animals don’t understand and make comments about humans being clumsy, not very good hunters, always certain of things, reeking, having incompetent noses, etc.

When Ivan is moved out of the Big Top Mall he is given a drink that tastes like mango and something bitter. He then falls asleep. It is implied that he is given a medicine to make him sleep, like it was said by a vet from the zoo earlier in the book, he will have to be put under.

This review is written by contributor, Rachel. To find out more about Rachel, click HERE.

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