Book Summary and Review for Parents for The One and Only Ivan

Are you missing connections with other humans? In the age of Covid, we are all feeling disconnected. Our lives have been turned upside down. Like Ivan in the fiction book, The One and Only Ivan, we have been trapped with little interaction with others. 

We are made to be relational.

My first thoughts while reading this children’s novel to my son is that it is so moving that Disney had to make a movie out of it. And as I continued to read the book, my thoughts turned to Jack-Jack, my 15 year old autistic son. With Ivan, nobody knows how he feels or his deeper thoughts. It is like that with Jack-Jack. 

Thoughts trapped inside. 

Does he think deeply? 

What does he remember from when he was younger?

And like Jack-Jack, Ivan seems almost too good for this world.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN SUMMARY

Ivan is a Silverback Gorilla living in a small domain in a mall. He doesn’t remember much about his life before the mall. His friends are Stella, an older elephant who and Bob, an scruffy dog.

Ivan is a gorilla of few words. Each and every “chapter” is short and to the point. No flowery words to describe something. “Humans speak too much. They chatter like chimps, crowding the world with their noise even when they have nothing to say.” 

Oh, what an indictment on our current predicament. Words crowd our lives when often less words will do. In this novel with less words per page, you find great bits of wisdom. Sorrow is weaved into those words, and understanding of some of the problems of the world are captured there too.

Synopsis of Book – The One and Only Ivan

Ivan lives in the Big Top Mall and Arcade in a cage made of glass, metal, and cement. He lives alongside monkeys, parrots, sun bears, a chicken, a rabbit, Stella the elephant, Snickers a trick dog, and Bob – an abandoned dog. 

Each day at 2:00, 4:00 and 7:00, the animals perform a show for the waiting humans. However, through the years, there are less and less humans that appear for the shows. 

More About the Book: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is a children’s novel and winner of the 2013 Newberry Award. It was written by Katherine Applegate.

This work of fiction is based on a true story of a gorilla named Ivan that found himself in the Zoo in Atlanta. However, before getting to the zoo, Ivan spends almost 30 years without ever seeing another gorilla. 

The One and Only Ivan based on the years spent at the mall and how he gets to the zoo.

WHAT PARENTS MAY WANT TO KNOW

Some people criticize this book because of “violence.” The book talks about animals being killed, hands cut off, and animals being mistreated. I did gloss over some of this content. Jack-Jack is 15 with autism. He hates the mention of death and dying.

Additionally, the One and Only Ivan implies that humans are descendants of apes. Ivan says, “I am a great ape, and you are a great ape…all of us distant and distrustful cousins.”

I talked with Jack-Jack about early memories.

Do you remember how your brother used to fly you around the room while watching Toy Story? Yes.

Do you remember how he swung you around for Over The Hedge? Yes. 

While this book may be about a gorilla trapped in a human enclosure, to me it represents so much more. 

How many humans are trapped – in cities that they cannot afford to leave? In jobs that they work from sunup to sundown? In relationships where they feel there is no way out? 

And now with Coronavirus, we are told to limit our human connections. 

READING LEVEL FOR THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN BOOK

The recommended reading level is Grades 3-6, however, the book has received criticism because of some content. In addition to violence and talk of killing, there is also a lot of implied death.

Animals are tossed aside and treated poorly. Baby animals taken from their parents.

You know your child best. I would recommend reading this book out loud and paying careful attention to how your child is understanding and processing what they are hearing.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR READING THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

I purchased this book years ago and never read it. Even when people said it was sooo good, I still avoided reading about a gorilla living in a mall. 

Somehow I knew that it wasn’t the right time to read about a trapped gorilla. 

However, there comes a time when you are ready to accept the hand you have been dealt, and it is in those moments that you can begin to connect with those around you. 

Hope says to never give up and believe in all the possibilities. Sometimes on the way to your destination, the journey seems hard, but the friendships and memories are priceless. 

This is a great story to illustrate to your children that we are responsible for creating a better world for those around us.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I do earn from qualifying purchases.

SILVERBACK GORILLAS – Teaching and Homeschooling

Educational opportunities abound when we are talking about gorillas.

Read more about the “real Ivan.” Also visit this site to find more educator’s resources.

Zoo Atlanta has a page dedicated to Ivan the Gorilla.

Disney houses gorillas at Walt Disney World Resort in Animal Kingdom. Disney paves the way when it comes to animal conservation and exploring and developing new ways to ensure we save the species that we encounter in the world.

Read Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla – A Picture Book. Also, there is a sequel based on another character in the original book – The One and Only Bob.

Watch for The One and Only Ivan on Disney+ which is scheduled to begin streaming on August 21, 2020.

OTHER GORILLA RESOURCES

Movies:

National Geographic The Urban Gorilla tells the tale of the real Ivan, but also explores other gorillas held in captivity.

Disney’s Mighty Joe Young can be found on Disney+.

King Kong is a famous movie. However, it is not accurate or depicts gorillas for the magnificent creatures that they are. However, many people consider this movie a classic.

For DisneyNature Movie Reviews

DisneyNature Elephant Review

DisneyNature Dolphin Review

More Movie Reviews

DisneyNature Born in China Review

DisneyNature Penguin Review