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| The One and Only Ivan |
Ivan is not your typical gorilla. Although he is massive and strong like other
silverbacks, he doesn’t have the opportunity to use his power to protect his
family. Ivan doesn’t live in the lush
forests with other gorillas. He lives at
the Exit 8 Big Top Mall – in a small cage he calls a domain – and his best
friends are Bob the dog and Stella the elephant.
Ivan can hardly recall the life he led as a young
gorilla. The only thing he remembers vividly
is his sister, Tag, and the way she used to chase him playfully through the
trees. He misses Tag, but he loves
Stella and Bob, and even Julia, a girl who comes to see him on a daily basis. Ivan also loves to draw and paint, and Julia
is fond of bringing him supplies.
When Ruby, a young elephant, arrives to share Stella’s
cage, Ivan starts to realize that maybe life in the mall is not normal. Maybe gorillas (and elephants) belong in wild
places with their own kind. As Ivan
becomes more and more protective of Ruby, he vows to get her out of the mall –
somehow.
The
One and Only Ivan is a sad story. Both Ivan and Ruby have lost their families
because of the cruel actions of humans.
But there may just be some humans who are good and loving. Will Ivan be able to convince those kind people
to help him and the other animals?
Based in part on a true story, The One and Only Ivan
might make you cry, but will also give you hope. Maybe humans aren’t all bad.
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