The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate | Book Review

Book Review of The One and Only Ivan
The Children’s Book Review

The One and Only Ivan

Written by Katherine Applegate

Illustrated by Patricia Castelao

Ages 8+ | 336 Pages

Publisher: HarperCollins | ISBN-13: 978-0061992278

What to Expect: Animal Cruelty, Friendship, and Activism

The One and Only Ivan is a bestselling novel about hope and friendship inspired by a real silverback gorilla named Ivan, who was held captive for 27 years. 

Narrated from the perspective of Ivan himself, a beautiful story of friendship unfolds between Ivan, an elephant named Stella, and a stray dog named Bob. Ivan is comfortable in his domain in the shopping mall, where he watches TV and makes artwork sold to the people viewing him through the glass windows far from the jungle. On the other hand, Stella has a more extended memory than Ivan and longs to live in a zoo where larger domains are provided.

Ruby, a new baby elephant plucked from the wild, is introduced to the Big Top Mall, where she is to learn circus tricks from Stella. Soon after, Stella becomes sick and charges Ivan with the task of caring for Ruby. Ivan begins to recall his time in the jungle and his desire for freedom. Will these memories nudge him to help Ruby rise? The author’s note at the end of the book is a beautiful addition; Katherine Applegate talks about the differences between the actual events and her story.

Katherine Applegate’s writing is superb, subtle, and incredibly expressive. Rightly so, The One and Only Ivan won the Newbery Medal in 2013 and has consistently been a bestselling novel that readers can enjoy solo or as a read-aloud. It also makes for excellent book club conversations. However you decide to enjoy The One and Only Ivan, it’s a winner!

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About the Author

Number 1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal. Katherine’s novels have been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades, including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award.

Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, as well as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists, and Best of the Year lists from School Library Journal, Kirkus, Amazon, the New York Public Library, and the Chicago Public Library. Katherine has two adult children and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and assorted pets.

Learn more about her work at https://katherineapplegate.com/.

Check out our exclusive interview: Katherine Applegate Discusses Odder

The One and Only Ivan, written by Katherine Applegate, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like The One and Only Ivanby following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Gorilla, Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award Winners, Newbery Medal Winners and Zoo.