The One and Only Ivan
by: Katherine Applegate
Published: 2012
2013 Newbury Metal Winner
Summary: The One and Only Ivan is a young-adult novel that is based on the true story of a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lived in a cage at a mall located in Washington for 27 years. When Ruby, a baby elephant joins him from the wild, the two become unexpected friends and Ivan is forced to acknowledge who he truly is and where he belongs. This novel is told in the first-person point of view from Ivan himself. Ivan lives at the Big Top Shopping Mall off of a highway, and loved his life initially. He had human friends who frequented at the mall and visited him often. From Julia, a young girl, Ivan received his first crayon, which he used to draw for enjoyment. Mack, the mall's owner, sells Ivan's paintings in the gift shop. Ivan also had a neighboring elephant, Stella, who was also living in captivity at the mall. Since the story is told through Ivan's eyes, he is able to develop relationships with Stella and Julia, and tell of the fascinations he has with them, such as Stella's ability to use her trunk and Julia's artistic abilities. When the mall loses popularity, the owner, Mack, decides to bring in a baby elephant, Ruby. When Stella passes away due to a lack of resources and space for two elephants, people begin to protest Ivan and Ruby being held at the mall, and Ivan takes it upon himself to get them out. He paints the word "HOME" on a large poster, and the media and public get invested in his story, and freeing Ivan and Ruby. They are released and sent to a zoo where they can interact with others of their own kind. They both adapt to their new life, and Julia is able to visit the zoo frequently.
Response: The One and Only Ivan is a fascinating read. The most interesting concept of this book is how it is told, from the perspective of another species. However, it works due to how knowledgeable and informed Ivan is, and how he is continuing to develop and learn throughout the novel. Due to this, readers are involved and taken on this journey of discovery. Readers are able to see the world and discover through the eyes of Ivan. For example, at the beginning of the book, Ivan seems happy watching TV, and interacting with bypassers at the mall. However, once he discovers the way his life should be, out of the close captivity, readers experience the hurt and turmoil of this discovery alongside Ivan. The interesting thing about this book is that it takes basic human concepts from a new perspective. For example, readers understand the term freedom from a totally new lens. To humans, we think of freedom as not being tied down or obligated to a greater system. From this book, readers recognize that freedom actually means something completely different to other species. To Ivan, freedom is being able to return to the life he knew when he was young, the life he was taken from and longs to return to. This opens an outlet for many discussions while reading this book. Since freedom is often longing for something you have never experienced, it is interesting to acknowledge through this book that freedom to Ivan is being able to return to something he once had.
Analysis: In relation to the elements of a well-written book, this book develops a strong unexpected insight through the point of view the story is told from, as well as art. Katherine Applegate does an incredible job with personification, as well as plot and character development that many students could connect and relate to. Through telling the story from the perspective of Ivan, Applegate personifies a gorilla in a way that readers can relate, and feel for him. Ivan is able to teach readers many important lessons, such as helping others, which he does for helping liberate Ruby, and the importance of speaking up for injustice. Through this personification, the book makes readers think about perspective, and gives an unexpected perspective on a common occurrence we see each day: animals in captivity. The use of the first-person point of view gives a strong unexpected insight into the world of Ivan, and animals in captivity. This allows readers to understand and see animals in a new light, and build a new sense of empathy and understanding. These concepts, as well as the concepts of personification and imagery which are used strongly within the book, would be beneficial to discuss and reflect on within a classroom setting.
This book also does an incredible job of teaching the importance of communication and the weight art can hold, no matter the form. The One and Only Ivan teaches the power of art, and using it to get a message across. When Ivan creates a poster with the word "HOME", he is able to get bystanders to recognize that a small window in a shopping mall is not where he belongs. This simple art piece is able to spark a response and revolution that leads to his liberation, which was possible and achieved by a gorilla. This can be used to teach the lesson of small gestures and acts that can make a huge impact, or the importance of standing up for what you believe in. This concept can also be used to discuss communication, and how different cultures, communities, and even species can bridge their communication gap using art. This could spark a project where students create a piece of art that portrays an important issue or cause to them, and they can explain how their message could be received using their artwork. The story of Ivan is also a true story, which makes this story even more engaging for students. Even though it is not non-fiction since it is told from the perspective of a gorilla, the foundation of the story and the events are factual.
Summary: The One and Only Ivan is a young-adult novel that is based on the true story of a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lived in a cage at a mall located in Washington for 27 years. When Ruby, a baby elephant joins him from the wild, the two become unexpected friends and Ivan is forced to acknowledge who he truly is and where he belongs. This novel is told in the first-person point of view from Ivan himself. Ivan lives at the Big Top Shopping Mall off of a highway, and loved his life initially. He had human friends who frequented at the mall and visited him often. From Julia, a young girl, Ivan received his first crayon, which he used to draw for enjoyment. Mack, the mall's owner, sells Ivan's paintings in the gift shop. Ivan also had a neighboring elephant, Stella, who was also living in captivity at the mall. Since the story is told through Ivan's eyes, he is able to develop relationships with Stella and Julia, and tell of the fascinations he has with them, such as Stella's ability to use her trunk and Julia's artistic abilities. When the mall loses popularity, the owner, Mack, decides to bring in a baby elephant, Ruby. When Stella passes away due to a lack of resources and space for two elephants, people begin to protest Ivan and Ruby being held at the mall, and Ivan takes it upon himself to get them out. He paints the word "HOME" on a large poster, and the media and public get invested in his story, and freeing Ivan and Ruby. They are released and sent to a zoo where they can interact with others of their own kind. They both adapt to their new life, and Julia is able to visit the zoo frequently.
Response: The One and Only Ivan is a fascinating read. The most interesting concept of this book is how it is told, from the perspective of another species. However, it works due to how knowledgeable and informed Ivan is, and how he is continuing to develop and learn throughout the novel. Due to this, readers are involved and taken on this journey of discovery. Readers are able to see the world and discover through the eyes of Ivan. For example, at the beginning of the book, Ivan seems happy watching TV, and interacting with bypassers at the mall. However, once he discovers the way his life should be, out of the close captivity, readers experience the hurt and turmoil of this discovery alongside Ivan. The interesting thing about this book is that it takes basic human concepts from a new perspective. For example, readers understand the term freedom from a totally new lens. To humans, we think of freedom as not being tied down or obligated to a greater system. From this book, readers recognize that freedom actually means something completely different to other species. To Ivan, freedom is being able to return to the life he knew when he was young, the life he was taken from and longs to return to. This opens an outlet for many discussions while reading this book. Since freedom is often longing for something you have never experienced, it is interesting to acknowledge through this book that freedom to Ivan is being able to return to something he once had.
Analysis: In relation to the elements of a well-written book, this book develops a strong unexpected insight through the point of view the story is told from, as well as art. Katherine Applegate does an incredible job with personification, as well as plot and character development that many students could connect and relate to. Through telling the story from the perspective of Ivan, Applegate personifies a gorilla in a way that readers can relate, and feel for him. Ivan is able to teach readers many important lessons, such as helping others, which he does for helping liberate Ruby, and the importance of speaking up for injustice. Through this personification, the book makes readers think about perspective, and gives an unexpected perspective on a common occurrence we see each day: animals in captivity. The use of the first-person point of view gives a strong unexpected insight into the world of Ivan, and animals in captivity. This allows readers to understand and see animals in a new light, and build a new sense of empathy and understanding. These concepts, as well as the concepts of personification and imagery which are used strongly within the book, would be beneficial to discuss and reflect on within a classroom setting.
This book also does an incredible job of teaching the importance of communication and the weight art can hold, no matter the form. The One and Only Ivan teaches the power of art, and using it to get a message across. When Ivan creates a poster with the word "HOME", he is able to get bystanders to recognize that a small window in a shopping mall is not where he belongs. This simple art piece is able to spark a response and revolution that leads to his liberation, which was possible and achieved by a gorilla. This can be used to teach the lesson of small gestures and acts that can make a huge impact, or the importance of standing up for what you believe in. This concept can also be used to discuss communication, and how different cultures, communities, and even species can bridge their communication gap using art. This could spark a project where students create a piece of art that portrays an important issue or cause to them, and they can explain how their message could be received using their artwork. The story of Ivan is also a true story, which makes this story even more engaging for students. Even though it is not non-fiction since it is told from the perspective of a gorilla, the foundation of the story and the events are factual.
No comments:
Post a Comment