2013 Newbery WinnerApplegate, Katherine.The One and Only Ivan. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 2012.
ISBN: 9780062135797
Author:
Katherine Applegate's many books include the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series, the picture book The Buffalo Storm, and the award-winning novel Home of the Brave. She also wrote a series with her husband, titled Animorphs which sold over 35 million copies. 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.
Ivan is the narrator of our story and is an easygoing silver-back gorilla.
"I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It's not as easy as it looks."
"At the present, I do not have any gorilla friends."
He lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He does not miss his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. The main reason for that is because Ivan was taken captive as a baby so he doesn't have much to remember. He does, however, remember his parents getting shot and his sister.
"One day a still day when the hot air hummed, the humans came."
" Somehow I knew that in order to live, I had to let my old life die. But my
sister could not let go of our home. It held her like a vine, stretching across
the miles, comforting, strangling."
"We were still in our crate when she looked at me without seeing, and I knew
the vine had finally snapped."
Ivan tries to not think about his old life. Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog and mostly art. He loves to draw.
One day Ruby, a new baby elephant, arrives and this is when things start to change. Ivan realizes that his life is not that great when Stella dies and he sees how sad Ruby is without Stella. Before Stella dies, Ivan promises her that he will help Ruby have a better life. Ivan comes up with a plan to get the animals moved to a zoo or habitat so everyone will have a better life.
Critical Analysis:
I loved this book. Ivan's personality grabs the reader right from the beginning. This story is told in first-person narrative with Ivan being the main character and our narrator. Applegate writes in a type of poetic prose to express the thoughts and feeling of all the animals while Ivan leads us through the strong friendships, love, art, courage, and even a problem that must be solved from a promise made to a dying friend. Even though the story is written with a poetic feel, the sentences are short and simple so anyone can understand what Ivan is feeling. The bond the reader makes with Ivan is immediate and very real, not silly as one might think. This story will also open your eyes to the treatment of animals which sometimes we forget. It slowly brings the reader to realize the horrible life of the animals with little details such as later in the book changing the word "domain" to "cage". The illustrations are black and white sketches which add to the simplicity of the story. It makes you feel as if Ivan and the animals are simple creatures who do not have control over their environment. In the author's note, Applegate tells the story of the real Ivan and his 27 years of captivity in a cage which really fills in the story and bonds it with real life.
Connections:
Discuss: Animal rights, Civil Rights, Friendship, Death
"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
" Somehow I knew that in order to live, I had to let my old life die. But my
sister could not let go of our home. It held her like a vine, stretching across
the miles, comforting, strangling."
"We were still in our crate when she looked at me without seeing, and I knew
the vine had finally snapped."
Ivan tries to not think about his old life. Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog and mostly art. He loves to draw.
One day Ruby, a new baby elephant, arrives and this is when things start to change. Ivan realizes that his life is not that great when Stella dies and he sees how sad Ruby is without Stella. Before Stella dies, Ivan promises her that he will help Ruby have a better life. Ivan comes up with a plan to get the animals moved to a zoo or habitat so everyone will have a better life. Critical Analysis:
I loved this book. Ivan's personality grabs the reader right from the beginning. This story is told in first-person narrative with Ivan being the main character and our narrator. Applegate writes in a type of poetic prose to express the thoughts and feeling of all the animals while Ivan leads us through the strong friendships, love, art, courage, and even a problem that must be solved from a promise made to a dying friend. Even though the story is written with a poetic feel, the sentences are short and simple so anyone can understand what Ivan is feeling. The bond the reader makes with Ivan is immediate and very real, not silly as one might think. This story will also open your eyes to the treatment of animals which sometimes we forget. It slowly brings the reader to realize the horrible life of the animals with little details such as later in the book changing the word "domain" to "cage". The illustrations are black and white sketches which add to the simplicity of the story. It makes you feel as if Ivan and the animals are simple creatures who do not have control over their environment. In the author's note, Applegate tells the story of the real Ivan and his 27 years of captivity in a cage which really fills in the story and bonds it with real life.
Connections:
- Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
- The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
- An Eggplant in the Garden by Micheal Morpurgo
- The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Discuss: Animal rights, Civil Rights, Friendship, Death
Awards/Reviews:
- Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal
- 2013 Bluebonnet Nominee
- 2012 Christopher Medal
- Gold Medal in Juvenile Literature, 2012 California Book Award
- Society of Children's Book Writers
- Illustrators 2013 Crystal Kite Award Winner
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012
- Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books 2012
"How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage. … Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author's note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"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."
- School Library Journal (starred review
--Shelf Awareness
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