Staff Book and Media Recommendations

The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate

2013 Newbery Award winner, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, is a powerful, heart-wrenching tale.  The story is told from the viewpoint of Ivan, a silverback gorilla, who was sold into captivity in his youth. There is not much in Ivan's domain (read cage) except a child's plastic swimming pool with dirty water, a tire swing, and a stuffed monkey, Not-Tag.  Ivan is an artist and loves to draw. He can remember using mud to draw when he was in the forest with his mother.  There is no mud in Ivan's domain (read cage). Ivan is befriended by the janitor's daughter, Julia, who is an artist, also.  She slips some crayons and paper into Ivan's cage and Ivan can draw again until he eats his crayons. Julia brings him finger paints which Ivan loves to draw with (after tasting the paint first, of course). Sometimes he eats the paper, too. When a baby elephant is brought in to live near Ivan, he knows it is time for things to change. After all, he has lived here in his domain (read cage) for 9,876 days. 

Grades 3 – 7.

In the author’s note, Katherine Applegate explains the true story that inspired this work of fiction. Ivan, a real gorilla, who now lives at Zoo Atlanta, spent 27 years living in a mall in Washington State. ~ Anita Hill

Reviewed April 2013