The release date for the English version of 'The One and Only Ivan' by
Katherine Applegate is Jan 2012. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Ivan the gorilla is laid back. He's been living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, so he's been used to people observing him from behind his glass enclosure. He doesn't often long for his forest existence. To be honest, he doesn't really think about it very much.
As an alternative, Ivan muses on TV series he's seen and his pals Bob, a stray dog, and Stella, an old elephant. However, Ivan's primary focus is on art and how to use color and precise lines to convey the sensation of a mango or the sound of falling foliage.
After that, Ivan meets Ruby, a young elephant who was abducted from her family, and she opens Ivan's eyes to their habitat and his own artwork. Ivan must ensure that the changes Ruby brings about are positive ones. Ruby brings change with her.
Ivan's remarkable first-person narrative in Katherine Applegate's tale of friendship, art, and optimism combines poignancy and comedy.