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The One and Only Ivan

By Katherine Applegate

Now a major motion picture available on Disney+!

It is a story of bravery and friendship which is what I like about it

I would recommend this book as it is about how to stay brave and never give up on yourself as there will always be people out there who care for you.

I don’t like reading sad book like this story was nice but this book really made me cry

This book is the story of Ivan, who lives in an iron cage. After reading this book, I really felt pity and pity for Ivan living in a cage, and I became more interested in these gorillas.

A touching and moving story about a gorilla, a dog and an elephant

I really liked the story but only one problem is that you can’t tell what some of the animal characters are I found out really far in that Stella was a elephant

I really enjoyed this book. It was a touching book and made me feel what it is to be lonely and trapped in a cage. He promises to save the elephant who is also trapped in a cage for circus shows.

An amazing read, was sad at times but the ending was really good. I would recommend this book to others. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Ivan tells his story.He lives in a mall hid friends are Stella and Bob, He can paint. I think its very sad at first. He then meets Ruby a baby elephant and she makes him think about life. It has a happy ending. I had to keep reading to see what happened so i would recommend this book.

Ruby was my favourite.

I did not like it because it didn't have much action. I prefer books with action that resolve problems. In this book the story is a bit slow.

It was very moving because there is a death which is very sad.

Brilliant book chapters bit short for my liking

This book was very intriguing because it was a mixture of emotions and told from the point of view of the gorilla.

I enjoyed this book

It was about a gorilla who lived in a zoo

He was often taken on fun adventures

It was a fiction book

I like ivan because he was fun and friendly

I would recomend it

A wonderfully moving book which raised lots of questions about animals in captivity. The main character, Ivan the Silverback Gorilla, went on a journey of self discovery throughout the book, which at times was difficult to read as he is very human-like, and based on an actual real-life gorilla. A very thought-provoking book which I would definitely recommend for Upper KS2.

Very good. I couldn’t stop reading it.

brillant bo.ok especially if you love animals and want them to live in the wild.It shows you a diffrent side also of how much animals mean to humans and what a difference they make in their lives.Silverbacks are special animals and this is a incredical story of a brave gorilla that love his human dad and couldnt remember his wild life until a elephant reminded him....

Enjoyed the format with short chapters. Lots of strong characters. Year 3 and above would enjoy it.

I liked the new baby elephant Ruby and she got to live with and cuddle Ivan. It was sad when the old elephant died, but the story had a happy ending as they went to live in a zoo. The kind people that looked after them could visit.

Yes I would definitely recommend it to anyone but especially animal lovers. It is fiction. My favourite character is Ivan the gorilla.i liked it a lot because I love all animals and it was quite exciting.

Ivan is a gorilla who doesn't act like one. He wants too help his friend who is a elephant named Stella. He lives in a mall where he performs. I like this book because it's funny, happy and sad at the same time.

This book was very very funny, exciting and adventurous. I liked Ivan best.I would recommend this book to children who like gorilla's.

I thought it was quite good.

This book was really nice story about a gorilla and an elephant.

This book was quite interesting and would recommend to someone who likes animals

breath taking!!!

My favourite character was ruby because she is so cute

I would recommend this to animal lovers

this book is a really good it has amazing layout. I love it if I was the author I would be very proud

this is a book for animal lovers and it is about this gorilla thatr tells you ina kind of diary about his life

i liked this book alot. i think you should read it ifd your a animal lover .

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the one and only ivan.

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Like a novice juggler struggling to master some complicated tricks, “The One and Only Ivan” tries to encompass several different stories, themes, and ideas while appealing to adults and very young kids at the same time. It’s a tough feat to pull off—an uneasy mix of lofty notions about freedom and dog fart jokes—which the film only sporadically succeeds in achieving.

Some impressive visual effects and a strong voice cast can’t do much to enliven or unify the movie from director Thea Sharrock (“ Me Before You ”) and veteran writer Mike White (“ School of Rock ,” “Chuck & Buck”). And what’s frustrating is that “The One and Only Ivan” is based on a Newbery Medal-winning children book by Katherine Applegate that’s itself inspired by true events. There really was a gorilla who expressed himself through art; after years in captivity as part of a mall circus, he spent his final days in the sunshine at Zoo Atlanta. The meat of the story is compelling, but the actual telling of it is rushed and jumbled.

Sam Rockwell finds some unexpected avenues into his role as he always does in providing the voice of Ivan, a hulking creature with a heart of gold. Ivan has been the headliner for years at a sad, little circus in a dying shopping mall off the highway. He comes storming out at the end of the show, stomping and roaring and beating his fearsome breast, but he’s actually a pretty laid-back sort within his concrete confines. His best pal is a scruffy, stray terrier named Bob ( Danny DeVito ), and the easy banter between the two is among the film’s few highlights. Angelina Jolie provides the voice of the clan’s matriarch, a quiet and wise elephant named Stella. (Jolie is also one of the film’s producers.) Helen Mirren voices a fluffy poodle, Chaka Khan is a wisecracking chicken, and the great “ Hamilton ” star Phillipa Soo is completely wasted as a repetitive parrot named Thelma. It truly is a crime.

Overseeing this menagerie is Bryan Cranston as the circus’ founder and ringleader, Mack, who does his best to draw in dwindling crowds with his hammy, flashy routine. “The One and Only Ivan” seems ambivalent about this character who dictates so much of the film’s action. He’s not a bad guy, per se. He’s amiable enough, and he’s cared for Ivan like a son since the gorilla was a baby. He’s no Joe Exotic , but he is holding these animals captive for profit, something they eventually realize they no longer want. Cranston is charismatic as always, but he can only do so much with a character so lacking in complexity.

Mack’s big move to appeal to a wider audience is to introduce an adorable baby elephant named Ruby (“ The Florida Project ” star Brooklynn Prince ), who sweetly wears down Ivan with her incessant inquisitiveness. (This is stuff for the smallest viewers.) But another young lady, Julia (a lovely Ariana Greenblatt ), the sensitive daughter of one of the show’s stagehands, shakes things up even further when she shares some of her crayons and paints with Ivan. Soon, he’s creating striking abstract works, which evolve into elaborate landscapes that reflect his inner yearnings. As poignant as this suggestion may seem, it gets smothered in wackiness when all the animals plot a late-night breakout.

So if you’re keeping track, “The One and Only Ivan” is about corny characters goofing around with each other, the challenges of keeping a business afloat within a volatile economy and the importance of animals roaming free in the wilderness. Sharrock shifts gears between all of these elements quickly and awkwardly, so very little actually resonates. And the thing that made Ivan such a fascinating creature in real life—his unusual artistic ability—feels like an afterthought, just one of many subplots. It’s certainly harmless enough if you already have a Disney+ subscription, but it’s far from the greatest show on Earth.

Now available on Disney+. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Sam Rockwell as Ivan (voice)

Angelina Jolie as Stella (voice)

Danny DeVito as Bob (voice)

Helen Mirren as Snickers (voice)

Brooklynn Prince as Ruby (voice)

Ramón Rodríguez as George

Ariana Greenblatt as Julia

Chaka Khan as Henrietta (voice)

Ron Funches as Murphy (voice)

Phillipa Soo as Thelma (voice)

Mike White as Frank (voice)

Bryan Cranston as Mack

Eleanor Matsuura as Candace McAfee

Owain Arthur as Castello

John Flanagan as Jake

• Thea Sharrock

Writer (book)

• Katherine Applegate

Cinematographer

• Florian Ballhaus
• Barney Pilling
• Craig Armstrong

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The One and Only Ivan

Katherine applegate, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions, ivan quotes in the one and only ivan.

People call me the Freeway Gorilla. The Ape at Exit 8. The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback.

The names are mine, but they’re not me. I am Ivan, just Ivan, only Ivan.

The freeway billboard has a drawing of Mack in his clown clothes and Stella on her hind legs and an angry animal with fierce eyes and unkempt hair.

That animal is supposed to be me, but the artist made a mistake. I am never angry.

Anger is precious. A silverback uses anger to maintain order and warn his troop of danger. When my father beat his chest, it was to say, Beware, listen, I am in charge. I am angry to protect you, because that is what I was born to do.

Here in my domain, there is no one to protect.

My life is flashing lights and pointing fingers and uninvited visitors. Inches away, humans flatten their little hands against the wall of glass that separates us.

The glass says you are this and we are that and that is how it will always be.

My visitors are often surprised when they see the TV Mack put in my domain. They seem to find it odd, the sight of a gorilla staring at tiny humans in a box.

Sometimes I wonder, though: Isn’t the way they stare at me, sitting in my tiny box, just as strange?

“You could try remembering a good day,” Stella suggests. “That’s what I do when I can’t sleep.”

Stella remembers every moment since she was born: every scent, every sunset, every slight, every victory.

“You know I can’t remember much,” I say.

“There’s a difference,” Stella says gently, “between ‘can’t remember’ and ‘won’t remember.’”

“That’s true,” I admit. Not remembering can be difficult, but I’ve had a lot of time to work on it.

“Memories are precious,” Stella adds. “They help tell us who we are.”

“A good zoo,” Stella says, “is a large domain. A wild cage. A safe place to be. It has room to roam and humans who don’t hurt.” She pauses, considering her words. “A good zoo is how humans make amends.”

I’ve heard the Jambo story many times. Stella says that humans found it odd that the huge silverback didn’t kill the boy.

Why, I wonder, was that so surprising? The boy was young, scared, alone.

He was, after all, just another great ape.

“The circus trainers chained her to the floor, Ivan. All four feet. Twenty-three hours a day.”

I puzzle over why this would be a good idea. I always try to give humans the benefit of the doubt.

“Why would they do that?” I finally ask.

“To break her spirit,” Stella says. “So she could learn to balance on a pedestal. So she could stand on her hind legs. So a dog could jump on her back while she walked in mindless circles.”

I hear her tired voice and think of all the tricks Stella has learned.

“Why do you love [drawing]?” Ruby asks.

I pause. I’ve never talked to anyone about this before. “When I’m drawing a picture, I feel…quiet inside.”

Ruby frowns. “Quiet is boring.”

“Not always.”

“Bad humans killed my family, and bad humans sent me here. But that day in the hole, it was humans who saved me.” Ruby leans her head on Stella’s shoulder. “Those humans were good.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Bob says. “I just don’t understand them. I never will.”

“You’re not alone,” I say, and I turn my gaze back to the racing gray clouds.

But many days I forget what I am supposed to be. Am I a human? Am I a gorilla?

Humans have so many words, more than they truly need.

Still, they have no name for what I am.

“Do you think,” she asks, “that I’ll die in this domain someday, like Aunt Stella?”

Once again I consider lying, but when I look at Ruby, the half-formed words die in my throat. “Not if I can help it,” I say instead.

I feel something tighten in my chest, something dark and hot. “And it’s not a domain,” I add.

I pause, and then I say it. “It’s a cage.”

I stare at the One and Only Ivan, at the faded picture of Stella, and I remember George and Mack on their ladders, adding the picture of Ruby to bring new visitors to the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.

I remember the story Ruby told, the one where the villagers came to her rescue.

I hear Stella’s kind, wise voice: Humans can surprise you sometimes.

I look at my fingers, coated in red paint the color of blood, and I know how to keep my promise.

Mack turns on my TV. It’s a Western. There’s a human with a big hat and a small gun. He has a shiny star pinned to his chest. That means he is the sheriff and he will be getting rid of all the bad guys.

“If this sells quick, I’m getting you some more of that paint, buddy,” Mack says.

He walks away with my painting. Ruby’s painting. For a moment, I imagine what it would feel like to be that sheriff.

It’s different now, when I paint.

I’m not painting what I see in front of me. A banana. An apple. I’m painting what I see in my head. Things that don’t exist.

At least, not yet.

During the last show of the day, Ruby seems tired. When she stumbles, Mack reaches for the claw-stick.

I tense, waiting for her to strike back.

Ruby doesn’t even flinch. She just keeps plodding along, and after a while, Snickers jumps onto her back.

I’m ready to show Julia what I’ve made.

It has to be Julia. She’s an artist. Surely she’ll look, truly look, at my painting. She won’t notice the smudges and tears. She won’t care if the pieces don’t quite fit together. She’ll see past all of that.

Surely Julia will see what I’ve imagined.

Thump. Thump. Thump .

I bounce off the walls. I screech and bellow. I beat and beat and beat my chest.

Bob hides under Not-Tag, his paws over his ears.

I’m angry, at last.

I have someone to protect.

Mack turns on the TV.

We are on The Early News at Five O’Clock .

Bob says don’t let it go to my head.

There we all are. Mack, Ruby, me. George and Julia. The billboard, the mall, the ring.

And the claw-stick.

She starts to leave, then runs back to my cage. “I almost forgot. This is for you, Ivan.”

She slips a piece of paper into my cage. It’s a drawing of Ruby and me.

We’re eating yogurt raisins. Ruby is playing with another baby elephant, and I’m holding hands with a lovely gorilla.

She has red lips and a flower in her hair.

I look, as I always do in Julia’s pictures, like an elegant fellow, but something is different about this drawing.

In this picture, I am smiling.

“Do you think the other gorillas will like you?” Ruby asks.

“I’m a silverback, Ruby. A leader.” I pull back my shoulders and hold my head high. “They don’t have to like me. They have to respect me.”

Even as I tell her this, I wonder if I can ever command their respect.

I haven’t had much practice being a real gorilla, much less a silverback.

I move toward the young upstart, and he retreats.

Almost as if he believes I’m the silverback I’m pretending to be.

They stand side by side, just the way Stella and Ruby used to. Their trunks entwine. I see something new in Ruby’s eyes, and I know what it is.

I watch the whole thing, and then Maya plays it again for me, and again. At last she turns off the TV and carries it out of the cage.

I put my hand to the glass. Maya looks over.

Thank you, I try to say with my eyes. Thank you.

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The One and Only Ivan: A Newbery Award Winner by Katherine Applegate

One sentence summary.

A remarkable Newbery award-winning story of a gorilla named Ivan who learns to find his true strength, voice, and purpose.

Children’s Fiction, Fantasy, Animal Stories

Main topic of the book

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a powerful story about a captive gorilla living in a mall and his journey to freedom.

• Compassion: Ivan’s incredible understanding of the feelings of his human and animal companions and his willingness to do anything for their freedom.
• Perseverance: Ivan discovers his courage and strength to fight against injustice and his own boundaries.
• Resilience: Ivan overcomes the abuse he endured and finds his true voice –– both literally and figuratively –– before and after his eventual freedom.

Main parts of the book and a short summary

The One and Only Ivan follows the story of a silverback gorilla, Ivan, who was captured from the jungle and brought to live in a roadside zoo in a shopping center. The mall’s latest addition — an elephant named Ruby — helps Ivan to recognize the unfairness and cruelty of life in captivity and Ivan begins to search for a way out. After several trying times and the help of his animal and human companions, he finally finds a way to freedom.

On his journey to freedom, Ivan learns about the power and beauty of friendship, family, love, courage, and the strength to persevere. Along the way, Ivan discovers his true purpose and, most importantly, finds his own voice, which gives him the courage to fight for his friends’ freedom.

Key Takeaways

• The power of kindness and the value of friendship in difficult circumstances.
• The courage and resilience to fight for a better life — both for animals and humans.
• The importance of finding and using your own unique voice.
• The beauty of freedom and the strength to fight for it.

Author’s background and qualifications

The author of The One and Only Ivan is Katherine Applegate, an American children’s writer. Applegate’s first book was published in 1988. Many of her stories and novels have won awards, including the Newbery Medal in 2013 for The One and Only Ivan.

Target audience

The target audience for The One and Only Ivan is children aged 8-12 due to its magical, inspiring elements, accessible language, and focus on resilience and friendship.

Publisher and first publication date

The One and Only Ivan was published in 2012 by Harper Collins Publishers. It has subsequently been reprinted several times.

A Review of The One and Only Ivan

The film adaption of Katherine Applegate’s acclaimed novel provides viewers with a heartwarming story full of important lessons.

photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises

Friendship is important to the characters in “The One and Only Ivan,” as it is one of the few things they have.

Michaela Golik , Staff Writer November 9, 2020

The One and Only Ivan deals with multiple themes and stories that appeal to kids and adults alike. Released on Disney+ in August 2020, the film is based on the novel of the same name, written by Katherine Applegate. It’s inspired by the true story of Ivan, a gorilla born in central Africa in 1962.

The film stars Sam Rockwell as Ivan, Angelina Jolie as Stella, Danny DeVito as Bob, and Brooklyn Prince as Ruby. It was directed by Thea Sharrock, who is known for also directing the 2016 film Me Before You.

The story follows Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in a cage at a shopping mall. He’s been the headliner for years in performances for the public. At the end of every show, he roars and stomps around, making himself seem powerful and fearsome. However, Ivan is only acting and truly has a heart of gold.

He performs along with his friends, the other animals in the mall. Ivan has a particularly special bond with Stella the elephant, who acts as a mother figure to all the circus animals. Ivan’s best friend, though, is a stray dog named Bob, who is the comic relief contrasting the film’s heavy topics.

When fewer and fewer people start coming to the shows, the ringleader — Mack, played by Bryan Cranston — must figure out new ways to make the performances more exciting and unique. He brings in a baby elephant named Ruby. At first, Ivan is wary of her but eventually takes her under his wing and looks after her. They develop a sibling-like bond, which is important to Ivan since he hasn’t seen his real sister since he was put in captivity.

Julia, the daughter of one of the stagehands, has a close relationship with all of the animals, treating them like friends. When Mack gives her money for new crayons, she decides to give her old ones to Ivan. He starts to create abstract drawings that the animals struggle to understand, but Julia can always figure out the meaning. Her constant encouragement inspires him to continue creating artwork. 

While the film is heartwarming for people of all ages, it also deals with heavy topics such as grief and the treatment of animals in captivity.

Mack notices Ivan’s ability and decides to add it to his act. However, Ivan refuses to draw for the public to see, as he becomes increasingly frustrated with being in captivity.

Ivan has always struggled with remembering his past, since he was so young when he was taken from the wild. However, he’s able to piece together parts of his past, due to Stella’s wisdom and Ruby’s inquisitive nature. After Julia gives Ivan paints, he remembers that as a child, Ivan had the name Mud because he would always play with mud, using it to “paint” on rocks. While drawing may not have been his strong suit, he finds it much easier to create beautiful pieces with paint. 

Ivan remembers Julia telling him that when life gets tough, she likes to draw things the way she wishes they could be. Ivan decides to do the same thing. During a show, he makes a beautiful painting of the wild. Julia understands the meaning behind Ivan’s painting: he’s tired of living in captivity and he wants to be free again. This sparks news headlines and protests; everyone thinks Ivan and his friends should be freed.

While The One and Only Ivan is a heartwarming film for people of all ages, it also deals with heavy topics such as grief and the treatment of animals in captivity. It seems like it should be common sense, but wild animals were meant to stay in the wild. A life in captivity with constant training and performance is unhealthy. Studies show that circus animals are often abused and are prone to issues such as travel sickness and unusual behavior. Circus animals are often confined to enclosures that are much smaller than what they need, leaving them with nothing to do but pace back and forth.

Friendship also plays a major role in the film because it’s one of the few things the animals do have. Julia and the animals know that they can always count on each other. The dynamic between Julia and the animals shows that animals can be true friends that are there to help you when you need them.

I highly recommend watching this film for its impressive visual effects and important themes.

Michaela Golik is a junior at NASH, and it’s her first year writing for The Uproar. She enjoys dancing, spending time with her friends and family, painting, and writing. She loves filmmaking and aspires to be a director. When she’s not working or dancing, you can likely find her online shopping or daydreaming about traveling the world. 

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by Iva-Marie Palmer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

An imaginative novel that explores the path to finding faith after hope is lost.

A talking dog teaches a sixth grader about faith in humanity.

Caroline and her widowed father survived the hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast of Texas. But now money is tight, and Caroline’s 12th birthday present might just be jeans and underwear from the local mall. Her grieving dad tries his best, but his grocery store job only covers the essentials. Although Caroline’s best friend, Yumi, who’s Japanese and Jewish, is loyal and kind, Caroline, who presents white, wishes she were part of the popular crowd. She lands a job walking Denver, a rambunctious dog who shocks her by being able to speak—but only to her. He says he was sent with “a message from the heavens” to help Caroline remember that “goodness is out there.” Denver persuades her with a miracle: raining down grape juice and cupcakes! Caroline ends up on a news broadcast as an eyewitness, and the in crowd notices her; it’s hard to regain her belief in humanity when she’s distracted by social status. Along the way, Caroline neglects Yumi, whose unselfconscious enthusiasm seems immature compared to the cool kids. Caroline’s journey reflects positive values and messaging about one tween’s impact on her community. Denver carefully tells Caroline that his version of faith refers to people’s collective goodness, separate from religion, but Caroline and her father are Christian, which shapes her frame of reference.

Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024

ISBN: 9780063118898

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Iva-Marie Palmer

THE WILD ROBOT PROTECTS

From the wild robot series , vol. 3.

by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780316669412

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

Newbery Medal Winner

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

From the one and only series , vol. 1.

by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Patricia Castelao ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 17, 2012

Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...

How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.

Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.

Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4

Page Count: 320

Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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The One And Only Ivan

91 pages • 3 hours read

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The One and Only Ivan

• Genre: Fiction; middle-grade animal fiction
• Originally Published: 2012
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 570L; Grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 153 chapters; approx. 336 pages; approx. 3 hours, 46 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel is narrated by Ivan, a silverback gorilla living in a small, dismal circus-themed mall. Ivan is content with his routine until the arrival of Ruby, a baby elephant, prompts him to question his captivity and yearn for a better life. Ivan and his friends, including Stella, an elephant, work together to plan their escape to a sanctuary. The central conflict revolves around Ivan’s journey of self-discovery, friendship, and determination to give Ruby a chance at a life free from captivity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of captivity; animal welfare; friendship challenges; animal abuse and neglect

Katherine Applegate, Author

• Bio: Born 1956; American author known for her books for children and young adults; often explores themes of empathy, kindness, and the human experience in her works; The One and Only Ivan is celebrated for its ability to address complex subjects in an accessible way for young readers; has written across genres and age groups; also known for Crenshaw and other novels that engage young readers with thoughtful stories
• Other Works: Crenshaw (2015); Wishtree (2017); Home of the Brave (2007); The Buffalo Storm (2013); The Truth of Me (2013); Endling: The Last (2018); The One and Only Bob (2020)
• Awards: Newbery Medal (2013)

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The One and Only Family

For more than a decade, readers have been enchanted by the modern classic The One and Only Ivan , a Newbery Award winner and a #1 New York Times bestseller, and by its bestselling sequels, The One and Only Bob and The One and Only Ruby . Powerhouse author Katherine Applegate invites readers back into Ivan's world for one last adventure--his most exciting yet.

Ivan has been happily living in a wildlife sanctuary, with his friend Ruby next door in the elephant enclosure, frequent visits from his canine friend Bob, and his mate Kinyani by his side. And in the happiest turn of all, Ivan and Kinyani have welcomed a set of twins to their family!

Ivan loves being a papa, even though it can be hard sometimes. But as he navigates the joys and challenges of parenthood, he can't help but recall his life before the glass walls of the mall circus, his own childhood in the jungle--and his own twin.

In the tradition of timeless classics like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little , the one and only Katherine Applegate has crafted a poignant, delightful, heartbreaking, unforgettable final foray into the world of Ivan, the world's favorite silverback.

Price: $17.99

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The one and only ivan.

• Parents say (17)
• Kids say (25)

Based on 25 kid reviews

Heart warming movie for the whole family

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They changed it., one of the best movies ever, a good family movie, could have done better., wonderful movie, incredible vibrant amazing nice, amazing movie (especially if you're a fan of the book), heartwarming disney classic.

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

The One and Only Ivan to skip theatrical release, heading straight to Disney+

June 13, 2020 by EJ Moreno

Following hot on the heels of Artemis Fowl , another Disney film is heading straight to their streaming service. In a not-so-shocking movie, the studio will move The One and Only Ivan to Disney+, with a scheduled release of August 21st.

The One and Only Ivan is an adaptation of Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book about a special gorilla, voiced by Sam Rockwell. Thea Sharrock helmed the project, and the Me Before You director opened up about the change in release.

“The world has changed in a heartbeat. People all over the globe have shared important, life-changing experiences in ways we have not seen for a century,” Sharrock said in a statement. “In response to this, I am so happy that we can share Katherine Applegate’s delightful and original story, The One and Only Ivan with the world this August on Disney+, bringing some joy through this unique movie of true friendship, inspired by a true story.”

Other stars included in the live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation of the book include Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, Mike White, Brooklynn Prince, Ron Funches, Phillipa Soo, Ramon Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston.

You can find The One and Only Ivan on Disney+ this August.

About EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture website Flickering Myth in 2018 and now serves as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With over a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who is also part of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

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