The One and Only Ivan facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Katherine Applegate |
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| Illustrator | Patricia Castelao |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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2012 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
The One and Only Ivan is a popular novel written by Katherine Applegate. Patricia Castelao created the illustrations for the book. It was published in 2012. The story is told from the point of view of a silverback gorilla named Ivan. Ivan lives in a cage at a shopping mall.
In 2013, the book won the famous Newbery Medal. It has also received many other awards. This book is often suggested for reading lists. Two sequels have been written. The first, The One and Only Bob, came out in 2020. It tells the story from the perspective of Ivan's best friend, a dog named Bob. A second sequel, The One and Only Ruby, was published in 2023.
Contents
The Story of Ivan
The story of The One and Only Ivan takes place at a place called the Exit 8 Big Top Mall. It is located right next to a video arcade. Ivan, a silverback gorilla, has lived there for a very long time. He counts his days and has been there for 9,876 days.
Ivan lives in his own area, which he calls his "domain." He feels happy with his life there. He enjoys watching television and eating bananas. Ivan also likes to create artwork. The mall owner sells his drawings. Other animals live at the mall too. Stella is an old elephant. Bob is a stray dog. Stella has a long-term injury in one leg. She performs in daily shows.
Unlike Ivan, Stella remembers a lot about her past. She remembers living in other places. She learned many tricks at a circus. Stella really wanted to live in a zoo. She believed zoos offer much more space for animals. Stella thought good zoos were a way for humans to make things right.
A New Friend Arrives
One day, a baby elephant named Ruby comes to the Big Top Mall. She is meant to live with Stella. Ruby is also supposed to learn new tricks. But then, Stella's old injury makes her very sick. Just before Stella passes away, she asks Ivan for a promise. She wants Ivan to take care of Ruby. Stella asks him to find Ruby a better home. Ivan promises he will do it. He does not know how he will keep his promise.
After Stella's death, Ivan starts to remember his past. He thinks about his life before the mall. He remembers what it was like to be free. He wants to have stories to tell Ruby. Mack, the mall owner, tries to train Ruby. Ivan sees that Ruby is treated badly during her training. This makes Ivan even more determined to keep his promise to Stella.
Ivan's Big Idea
Julia is the daughter of George, the mall's custodian. She gives Ivan some finger paints. This gives Ivan an idea of how to help Ruby. He also starts to see the mall differently. He no longer thinks of his area as a "domain." Now, he sees it as a cage.
Ivan uses his art to create a huge picture. It spells out the word "home." Julia puts the letters together. She understands what Ivan is trying to say. George and Julia help Ivan. They put his artwork on the billboard outside the mall. People see the new signs. They begin to protest how the animals are treated.
Investigators are sent to the Big Top Mall. Eventually, the mall has to close down. Ivan, Ruby, and the other animals are taken to a zoo. Ivan lives in a white box for a while. He gets occasional visits to the zoo. This helps him get used to being with other gorillas. Later, he lives with his new gorilla family at the zoo. He finds out that Bob became Julia's pet. Ivan also learns that he and Ruby were adopted by the same zoo. They both start to get used to their new homes. They also meet the other animals living there.
Meet the Characters
- Ivan: He is an easygoing gorilla. Ivan lived at the Big Top Mall for 27 years. He spent most of his life in captivity. He lived either in a human home or at the mall. Ivan remembers little about his early life. He was happy with his life at the mall. As the story goes on, Ivan realizes his life is not good enough. He works to save Ruby and himself. They both go to a zoo for the rest of their lives.
- Stella: She is an older elephant. Stella used to be in a traveling circus. She got an injury and was sold to Mack. Stella has a very good memory. She would much rather live in a zoo. She makes Ivan promise to take care of Ruby if she cannot. Stella dies from her foot infection.
- Bob: He is a stray dog. Bob lives with Ivan in his area. Bob is happy being a stray dog. He does not want to be adopted by a human family. By the end of the book, it seems Julia's family takes him in.
- Mack: He owns the small mall. He is also a part-time circus clown. Mack bought Ivan from people who caught him in Africa. Mack is not seen often in the book. He seems like a good person generally. However, his business is failing. He cannot afford to keep up the mall. His actions with Stella and Ruby make Ivan try to get Ruby moved to a zoo.
- George: He is the mall's custodian. George is a kind man. He cares for the animals and the mall. But he feels torn about helping them. He is afraid of losing his job.
- Julia: She is George's daughter. Julia inspires Ivan to love drawing. Julia helps Ivan in his plan. She wants to move Ruby and the other animals to a zoo.
- Ruby: She is a baby elephant. Ruby is new to the mall. She recently lost her mother. Ruby had never been trained for circus tricks before. Mack's treatment of Ruby makes Ivan try to save her. She can also tell if people are lying.
- Thelma: She is a parrot who repeats things. Thelma lives in the mall.
- Kinyani: She is a female gorilla. Ivan meets her at the zoo.
- Maya: She is the zoo owner. Maya brings Ivan, Ruby, and all the animals from the mall to the zoo.
- Murphy: He is a white rabbit. His job in the circus is to drive a small red fire truck. He squirts people with a hose.
Real-Life Inspiration
The One and Only Ivan is a made-up story. However, it was inspired by a true event. It is based on the real story of Ivan. This real gorilla lived in a similar situation for 27 years. In 1994, the Atlanta Zoo adopted the real Ivan.
Ivan on the Big Screen
On April 9, 2014, Disney announced plans to make a movie. It would be based on the book. Allison Shearmur was set to produce it. On May 6, 2016, Mike Newell was announced as the director. However, Thea Sharrock replaced him on March 1, 2018. Mike White wrote the movie's script.
The cast for the film included many famous actors. Sam Rockwell played Ivan. Angelina Jolie was Stella. Bryan Cranston played Mack. Ariana Greenblatt was Julia. Ramón Rodríguez played Mack's assistant. Brooklynn Prince was Ruby. Helen Mirren played Snickers. Danny DeVito was Bob. Indira Varma and Eleanor Matsuura also had roles. Allison Shearmur passed away on January 19, 2018. She still received a producing credit. Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor were also producers.
The movie started being made in May 2018. It was first planned to be shown in theaters on August 21, 2020. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters closed. So, the movie became a Disney+ Original. It was released online for people to watch at home.
