The One and Only Ivan — Katherine Applegate

This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself Having spent twenty seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle Instead Ivan occupies himself with television his friends Stella and Bob and painting But when he meets Ruby a baby elephant taken from the wild he is forced to see their home and his art through new eyes In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte s Web and Stuart Little Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship art and hope The One and Only Ivan features first person narrative author s use of literary devices personification imagery and story elements plot character development perspective