Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

Using pencilline drawing and washes of pastel, Karas feelingly depicts Ivan's gentle and loving personality conveying how this gentle gorilla won the hearts of thousands of people--and readers.

Gently paced, with moving but reassuring images, this is an age-appropriate introduction to the issues of captivity and animal welfare.

The spareness of both text and pictures invites readers to find their own meaning in the moving story.

K-Gr 2--Ivan was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1962. When he was about six months old, he and another baby gorilla were kidnapped by poachers. They were sold to a mall in Tacoma, WA, that also had other animals. The other baby gorilla, however, died shortly after they arrived in the United States. This is the story of how Ivan went from a lonely existence in a shopping mall to living with other gorillas once more. Narrator Xe Sands complements Applegate's masterfully crafted picture book. Although her narration is a little slow, younger readers will appreciate the extra time to fully take in the captivating, colorful illustrations. The chimes for page turning are timed correctly and do not distract listeners. VERDICT Young children who are interested in gorillas or enjoy the read-along experience will love this. ["Convey[s] the sense of loneliness and isolation that marked the gorilla's existence": SLJ 7/14 review of the Clarion book.]--Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In this poignant picture book, Applegate streamlines the story told in her Newbery-winning novel, The One and Only Ivan, about an African gorilla captured by poachers and caged in a Washington State mall for 27 years as a tourist attraction. The third-person narrative diminishes the immediacy of the story somewhat, but supports the nonfictional bent of this account. While Applegate omits some of the novel's darker bits, as when Ivan's elephant friend at the mall dies of neglect, many grim moments remain, and she is clear about the injustice of the gorillas' situation ("Poachers with loud guns and cruel hands stole the little gorilla and another baby"). Karas's (Tap Tap Boom Boom) muted illustrations capably reflect the contrasts between Ivan's happy early life in Africa, his gloomy years in captivity, and his eventual transfer to a new home, with grass and other gorillas, at Zoo Atlanta. A detailed afterword fills out Ivan's story and imparts the sad news of his death in 2012. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.