Ages 8+1-min guideAnimalsFriendship
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
Read togetherA great book for 8 and up, best with a grown-up nearby for the sad parts. Told in short, beautiful chapters by a gorilla. It deals with captivity, an elephant’s death and a poaching memory.
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What it’s about
Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a cage at a shopping mall arcade. When a baby elephant, Ruby, arrives, he makes a promise to his dying friend to find her a better life.
The ending
What might come up
Animal crueltySomeAnimals kept in poor conditions; the owner uses a hook on Ruby.
Death and lossA lotStella the elephant dies. Ivan remembers poachers killing his parents and his twin sister dying.
Big feelingsSomeLoneliness and hope.
ViolenceA littleThe poaching memory.
LanguageNone
RomanceNone
Why kids like it
A gorilla who paints and very short chapters.
Free printable quiz
- 1Where does Ivan live at the start?
- 2What does Ivan like to do?
- 3Who is Ivan’s elephant friend who dies?
- 4What word do Ivan’s paintings spell?
Read it, then watch it
Read the book first, then watch it together and talk about what changed.
