Ivan the Gorilla
Dian Fossey said, “The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.” There is something truly majestic about these human ancestors. I find their hands and facial expressions to be particularly awe-inspiring. Both of these books are about a silverback gorilla named Ivan, torn from his home as an infant and put on display in a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington. Ivan spent twenty seven years of his life in a cage. Katherine Applegate’s books are a moving tribute to a gorilla who won the hearts of many. Let’s start with the novel, which was released a couple of years before the nonfiction picture book.
Title: The One and Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Patricia Castelao
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year of Publication: 2012
Literary Awards: Newbery Medal (2013), Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books (2012), School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (2012), and others!
“I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” With these words, Ivan begins to narrate the story of his life. I love the voices of the animal characters in this book: wise Stella, the elderly elephant; a surly dog named Bob; little Ruby, a young elephant who becomes the catalyst for change; and of course Ivan, who enjoys finger-painting and is a good friend to all. It is a heartbreaking story, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The One and Only Ivan has been popular as a read aloud at my school, and it is also a book that students regularly check out. The combination of widely spaced text and small but sweet illustrations make this novel accessible to young readers. It’s pretty heavy, so I’d recommend reading it first so you’re ready to process with your kiddos if necessary. Be sure to pair it with the following picture book.
Title: Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of The Shopping Mall Gorilla
Author: Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: Clarion Books
Year of Publication: 2014
Like the novel, this book is terribly sad yet ultimately uplifting. Beautiful illustrations and carefully selected words recount Ivan’s journey from central Africa to captivity in a shopping mall. Thanks to the protests and letters of concerned humans, Ivan ended up spending the last part of his life at Zoo Atlanta, under the loving and watchful eyes of scientists and his many fans.
Ivan was fifty years old when he died in 2012. Don’t miss Jodi Carrigan’s note on the very last page of the book. She was Ivan’s main keeper during the last years of his life, and counted him as her best friend. “His life has been a symbol of the way animals shape our lives . . . and the power we have to shape theirs.”