The One and Only Ivan (review)

Ivan, a silverback gorilla, is one of several animal residents of an interior park in a fading interstate mall owned by the conflicted Mack, a loving but flawed animal keeper. Ivan's friends Stella, an elephant, and Bob, the resident stray dog, keep him reasonably occupied, as do occasional drawing sessions, the results of which Mack sells. Determined to increase attendance, Mack buys a baby elephant, Ruby, and while Ruby bonds with Stella and tries to adjust, Stella's health declines. Ivan then makes a rash promise to his dying friend: to get Ruby out of the mall and into a more suitable nearby zoo. Ivan is a fascinating narrator with an intelligent, pithy voice that is, by turns, amusing and poignant ("It's not so bad, I wanted to tell the little boy. With enough time, you can get used to almost anything"). Applegate doesn't pull any punches in this look at the treatment of captive wild animals; Ivan's remembrance of the demise of his gorilla family is brief but starkly brutal (his parents were shot, then dismembered), and the sadness and boredom of mall captivity is palpable. Castelao's intermittent, slightly stylized illustrations, in smudgy, charcoal-like tones of gray, complement the evocative yet spare storytelling. Short chapters and widely spaced lines of text ensure the 300+ pages move quickly and will make this approachable for reluctant readers. Animal-loving youngsters and their adults will find plenty of food for thought in Ivan's extraordinary story.