It’s hard to believe poor Ivan was kept in a cage in a mall for almost three decades. Well, now Ivan finally has a voice. This is a wonderful, warm story of dreams and friendships.
Katherine Applegate does a wonderful job of adding fun characters to Ivan’s world. I think many adults will find the book sad almost all the way through and children will only find parts of it sad. But it will be inspirational to all who read it.
I visited Zoo Atlanta a couple of years ago and took this picture of a gorilla. Is it Ivan? I’m not sure. But Zoo Atlanta has a wonderful habitat for gorillas. On my next visit, I hope to get a glimpse of Ivan – The One and Only.
