The One And Only Ivan Summary

Jeanette Banda
Book Title: The One and Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate
Date of Publication: December 2011
Awards: John Newbery Award
Central Character/s:
1. Ivan: Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in a stationary circus. Ivan is a talented gorilla who can draw pictures and write simple words. He lives in his domain all the time, never leaving it for any reason. Ivan is good friends with Stella, the elephant who lives beside him, and Bob, a stray dog who likes to sleep on Ivan's belly.
2. Stella: One of Ivan’s dearest friends who lives in the next domain. Stella is an elephant. Ivan says she’s a mountain. Stella suffers from an injured foot. She ends up dying midway.
3. Bob: Another one of Ivan’s dearest friends. Bob is a dog. Ivan
Summary
Ivan is a gorilla. He is sometimes called "the Freeway Gorilla...The Ape at Exit 8...The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback." Ivan can understand human words, which is not the same as understanding humans. Ivan used to be a wild gorilla. Ivan lives in a human habitat called the "Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade". Stella, an elephant, lives in the domain next to Ivan's. She and Bob, a dog, are Ivan's best friends.
Ivan's domain is surrounded by three glass walls, and a fourth, which is made of cement, and sports a jungle scene. From his domain, Ivan can see a giant sign at the edge of the freeway.
Everyday, the denizens of the Big Top Mall perform a show called "The Littlest Big Top on Earth." Mack, dressed as a clown, pedals a tiny bike, and Stella parades along with a dog named Snickers on her back. After the show, the humans who have come to watch "forage" through the gift shop for things like balloons, T-shirts, and caps.
Ivan does not do any tricks. Julia is ten, and, like Ivan, is an artist. Stella gave Ivan his first crayon and paper. Julia draws "the ideas in her head," while Ivan draws simple things in his cage, like apple cores and banana peels. The humans don’t understand his drawings. Mack sells the drawings at the gift shop. When the Big Top Mall first opened, there were lots of visitors, but that stopped. The few who come to see Ivan think he looks
Through the Eyes of a Child. (p. 493)
1. Is every action consistent with the framework the author has developed? Yes, Ivan and the rest of the characters were from another place before they got to the mall. The story begins with Ivan talking from his point of view.
2. How does the author’s characterization allow children to suspend disbelief? Do characters begin in a real world before they travel the world of fantasy? Does a believable character accept a fanciful world, characters, or happenings? Does the author use an appropriate language or create a believable language consistent with the story? Ivan, a gorilla, is telling the story from his point of view. They all started in a real world but all ended up at a mall. Yes, Ivan adapts to the new world, animals, and environment. Yes, the author uses an appropriate language throughout the story.
3. Does the author pay careful attention to the details in the setting? Yes, the author mentioned specific details in the setting that allows the reader to visualize what the mall looks like. It was developed well that I could hear, see, and feel.
4. Is the theme worthwhile for children? Yes, most definitely! There was deep emotion and struggle. Ivan used his gift of art to get him out of his