The One and Only Ivan

This book might just be my all-time favorite children’s book. I fell in love with Ivan, the silverback gorilla living as an exhibit in a shopping mall, on page one. I connected with the universal themes of friendship and learning to take risks for those we love.

The English teacher in me loved the sparse, poetic language. Ivan’s story is a timeless tale for readers of all ages. It’s a hopeful story of beauty and sadness, and I plan to return to it again and again.

Do not say I didn’t warn you: this book requires a box of tissues. It’s told from the perspective of a gorilla named Ivan, who is stuck in a glass enclosure in a shopping mall. Stay with me on this; I can feel you doubting me. When Ivan befriends a baby elephant named Ruby, who is taken from the wild, he begins to see his circumstances in a whole new way, and discovers that art might be a ticket to freedom. Okay, I know what you are thinking: I am a grown up. I do not read books told from… show more.

Not one but two elephants star in this novel voiced in poetic vignettes by Ivan the gorilla. The animals are held in neighboring “domains” in a grotesque suburban mall setting. Ivan’s heart and mind drive the story, but compassion is made real by Stella, the older elephant. Her relationship with Ivan sheds light on their desperate circumstances. Ruby, the baby elephant, serves as a little beacon of hope, drawing the best from Ivan. Inspired by a true story, this book raised so many questions in my mind—about animal captivity, home, friendship, family, and community.