Ivan's story is told through verse in Katherine Applegate's latest book. Ivan, of course, was the inspiration for her award-winning The One and Only Ivan. It opens beautifully: "In leafy calm, in gentle arms, a gorilla's life began." It closes beautifully: "In leafy calm, in gentle arms, a gorilla's life began again." For most of his life, Ivan was a shopping mall gorilla. His early years of captivity, he spent at the shopping mall and at the home of one of the employees, I believe. He was treated very much as a pet/child. But once he began growing and developing, he lived caged-up at a mall. The book is about his life at the mall, and, how people helped him gain his freedom by writing letters, signing petitions, and holding protests. Eventually, he was moved to a zoo exhibit with other gorillas. He spent the remaining years of his life there, lonely no longer.
I enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the novel too. I think the illustrations by G. Brian Karas were great. I would have loved a few more pictures of the real Ivan, however. But still, the illustrations were well done.
© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
1 comment:
My homeschooled daughter and I LOVED the One and Only Ivan and this new book is on our to-read list. Thanks for the recommendation!
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