Sunday Synopsis

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this Newbery Award winner. The story about Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a cage in a mall. It is based on a true story of a Silverback who was captured in the wild and lived behind the glass walls of an enclosure for 27 years. The author's note explains the differences between the real facts and the novel.

The story is told in first person by Ivan himself. He watches the world go by, learns about humans, creates "art," and makes friends with some of the other animals. He even has a friend in the custodian's daughter. Ivan is complacent about his situation until Ruby, a baby elephant, joins them under the big top at the mall. He watches how she is trained to perform. He comforts her when she misses her family. Then Ivan decides to do something about it.

This is a story about animals in captivity who are forced to perform, but it's also a story about human nature and friendship. I think you'll like it.



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