“The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate is one of my top 10 favorite children’s books. I’ve written about this book before. I still have the same feelings I had then…how many times can I use profound, brilliant, and amazing without it feeling repetitive or unnecessary. Ivan’s story is one of those rare books that touches your heart in a way that profound and brilliant simply can’t be said enough about it.
Visiting the library this past week, I saw another favorite Ivan book that I previously shared here…Katherine Applegate’s “Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla.” I haven’t looked at this book since 2015, but I saw it and needed to revisit my old friend, Ivan. Yes, Ivan really did live in a shopping mall for 27 years. My heart hurts to think about this poor lonely gorilla trapped in a cage in a shopping mall for most of his life. The book begins and ends with the same line “In leafy calm, in gentle arms, a gorilla’s life began.” The story follows Ivan’s life from a tropical forest in Africa to a house in Washington, to a shopping mall once Ivan was too big to keep at home, and finally, to Zoo Atlanta where vets and scientists gave Ivan the closest life they could that tropical forest in Africa.
Books like these make the readers feel so many emotions. Readers of all ages feel frustration for Ivan, anger that he is held captive, relief when he ends up in the closest place to the forest (Zoo Atlanta). This is why I love a great children’s book. Initially a reader may wonder how they could possibly relate to a gorilla in a cage in a mall, but Applegate brilliantly shows the reader they can. Gorillas are incredibly intelligent animals who feel emotions like us. It is impossible to read this book and not feel a connection to Ivan.
Children will love that “The One and Only Ivan” is told in first person gorilla. The Ivan picture book is told by a narrator. Initially, I expected first person gorilla to make the book feel more childish, but it didn’t. It made me feel more of a connection to Ivan. It made me feel like I was stepping into his world and seeing it through his eyes. If you are interested in knowing more about the incredible Ivan, these videos show his life in a cage in a mall, his later life at Zoo Atlanta and more about his life.
A great children’s book doesn’t mean it is only written for children. It means the book is written appropriately for children BUT is a great book for readers of all ages. Visit the brilliant (yes, I’m using that word again) Ivan stories through both books and you will understand what I mean. I can’t recommend this book enough and I will definitely revisit my friend, Ivan, again soon.