A Tender and Tragic Story Well Told.

It is so wonderful to see that women are getting their feet wet in writing. How badly we need the feminine in literature.

And that's what we get here. The author, Katherine Applegate, is not afraid to be innovative. One brilliant page in the book simply outlines a list, each item (outdoors phenomena) consisting of one word. The last three items on the list, after a couple of line breaks, are comments, repetitive and of one word, of our gorilla hero, Ivan, on the above entries. So good to see an author taking chances, and successfully.

The story can't lose any way it's told. Based on a true life horror event (unfortunately illustrating just how we humans have divorced ourselves from our animal friends, their needs and sensibilities, only to find them "entertaining" at great cost to their natural selves), the fictionalized tale introduces some very appealing characters: a scruffy, very independent stray dog, an old elephant and a young one (the reader will fall in love with both), a hard working janitor and his sweet, artistic daughter, a friend to Ivan the gorilla, and the not so likeable Mack, owner of the circus-themed mall (how on earth was that ever allowed?), in real life located in Washington state.

One would hope that this story will be read by as many children as possible to instill early on compassion towards animals. The earlier we get to them, the better. And this story cannot fail in doing that. One can say there is a happy ending. But not before some tears are shed for those that do not survive due to ill care. Keep your hanky nearby when reading this book.

It is difficult to judge the work as a whole, particularly with illustrations, as with the advanced copy of the book supplied to Vine Voice reviewers, there is a notice that the "interior art [is] not final." So we don't know what it will look like in its final run.

The only bone I would have to pick with this very tender story is that the author could immerse herself in the characters she creates more fully and intensely, without sacrificing her intuitive and instinctive graceful tone. I expect this will happen naturally as she continues to write.