Ivan the remarkable true story of the shoppping mall gorilla by Katherine Applegate

I found The One and Only Ivan such a moving story. I was a little worried about opening this new picture book.  The treatment of Ivan over 27 years is so hard to accept.  How could people be so cruel to a wonderful wild creature.

This book is aimed at a younger audience but since it is a true account of what happened to Ivan you can find it in the non fiction section of our school library.  After reading this book make sure you also read the final three pages which add in all the factual details about Ivan.

"The jungle, green with life was gone.
The gorillas had traveled halfway around the world to Tacoma, Washington. A man who owned a shopping mall had ordered and paid for them, like a couple of pizzas, like a pair of shoes."

I think this quote demonstrates the heart break you will feel when you read about Ivan.

Here is an interview with Katherine Applegate.  Take a minute to watch the trailer from the publisher.