The One and Only Ivan (The One and Only #1) in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Apr 16, 2014 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, nature, animals, friendship, children-s-literature, library, concierge, dogs, illustrated, art

Ivan is a silverback lowland gorilla whose domain is a box with three walls made of thick glass, a fourth made of concrete (painted with a jungle scene), and a concrete floor. His two best friends at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall are Stella, the performing elephant, and Bob, a stray dog who hides from the humans during the day and sleeps on Ivan’s belly at night. Ivan didn’t always live in this domain; he grew up in a jungle with other gorillas, but he was captured when he was a baby and hardly rememb ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2020 Tien rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, children

Wow, what an amazing story... I'm so very touched and dumbfounded.

The story is told from Ivan's perspective. Ivan is a gorilla, a Silverback. He has been living in his domain for 9,855 days. His domain is part of a circus-themed mall but lately there hasn't been many visitors. The owner tried may new things to entice more visitors and finally, he bought a baby elephant because everyone loves babies! Ruby is sad, lonely, confused, and afraid. Yet, it is through Ruby that Ivan is looking for a bet ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 14, 2014 Katharine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: animals, for-the-older-kids, favorites, ageless

Tore my heart out, beat it into a pulpy mess, and then tenderly rebuilt it. Just a few pages in, I had already given this touching story 5 stars. I would like to give it 5 million stars. If this book doesn't touch your heart in some way, somehow, then I don't know if anything can.
Applegate uses relatively few words yet evokes such deep sadness, joy, laughter, tears, anger, and love. This is my new "go-to" gift book for all ages. We can all learn something from this story and owe the author a gr ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2020 Angie H rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade

Such a sweet book!

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2022 Irene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, read-because-hype, went-in-blind, aty-2022, libby, read-in-2022

I really like the message of this book. A lot of people are quick to demonize zoos, but as someone who used to work at a large zoo, I can honestly say that their primary objective in this day and age is conservation, not putting on a show for the public. Yes, there's a large educational and research element, but zoos are often the only place where scientists can actually accomplish their conservation efforts, particularly when a species is going extinct or when an animal from around the world ha I really like the message of this book. A lot of people are quick to demonize zoos, but as someone who used to work at a large zoo, I can honestly say that their primary objective in this day and age is conservation, not putting on a show for the public. Yes, there's a large educational and research element, but zoos are often the only place where scientists can actually accomplish their conservation efforts, particularly when a species is going extinct or when an animal from around the world has shown up, via illegal means. It boggles my mind sometimes how people are completely okay with pig farms that raise pigs inhumanely solely for the purpose of slaughtering/butchering them, but go on protests because a closely related wild hog is kept in an enclosure at a zoo for educational purposes.

There's also this weird idea that people have that most animals like roaming for hundreds of miles. Take a look at a stray cat - does it wander around because it likes to? If it were to find a shelter with a food source, would it prefer to stay there?
Like (most) humans, animals wander around because they have to, and not out of a desire to. I'm not trying to apply this specifically to gorillas, elephants, or dogs, but I'm just offering an alternate way of looking at animals kept in captivity who are kept away from predators, fed properly, etc. Obviously this doesn't apply to animals kept inhumanely (tiny enclosures that are dirty and not correctly temperature-controlled, etc.), but I don't find it hard to believe that (view spoiler)

Poaching and illegally transporting "exotic" animals is disgusting, but when an animal has been forced into captivity as a circus performer for almost 30 years, the answer isn't always to ship it back into the wild a continent away.

All of this to say, I don't think zoos are ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but it was refreshingly realistic that Stella's goal was for Ruby to live with other elephants at a zoo rather than at a mall circus.

My main complaint about this book is that I didn't think it hit quite hard enough. There were moments where I was close to tearing up (view spoiler), but it never really got there. I get that the target audience is middle grade, but there are other books for this age range that have that little bit more depth of emotion. The Pax duology, for example, unhesitatingly condemns war and doesn't feature a traditional happy ending ((view spoiler). This book, in contrast, does communicate the message of poaching being wrong, but it's nowhere near a central theme. In fact, from reading this book alone you'd think that circuses are worse than poaching.

Otherwise, I found the story charming, compelling, and effective. I enjoyed discovering parallels between book-Ivan and real-life Ivan, and just really liked all the characters. Even the head of the circus, who is desperate to make money, isn't really painted as an all-out villain (the biggest villains are only referenced in passing).
I also enjoyed the little "cute" details: Ivan having a stuffed animal, Bob sleeping on Ivan's stomach, Ruby doing cute baby elephant things with Stella, etc.

*2022 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #28: A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards - Newbery Medal (2013) ...more

Like · see review

Jul 18, 2013 Brindi Michele rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, newbery-medal, juvenile

2013 Newbery Winner

2 1/2 stars....I really, really, really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I couldn't get into the characters; I couldn't get into the story line. I didn't care for the audio.... ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2024 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, read-in-2024, fiction, overdrive-libby

4 stars, probably 3.75. Overall, this was a unique book. I liked that it was from the gorilla's perspective. I've been in a real slump and hopefully this one will have pulled me out of it. I look forward to reading Bob's story and Ruby's story. Plus, there is a new book coming out in May. ...more

Like · see review

Jan 14, 2020 Evil Secret Ninja rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reading-challenges

I loved this book it was very cute. brings up a lot of themes that are important like friendship and protecting those you can. its about family and the importance of the past.

Like · see review