The One and Only Ivan is a biographical fiction book written by Katherine Applegate. It follows the life of a silverback gorilla named Ivan. Although the story is fiction, the book is based on a real gorilla from Zoo Atlanta who was originally taken from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since Ivan is the only gorilla, he is friends with an elephant who performs for the mall, a dog who likes to hide and Julia, the mall janitor’s daughter who bonds with Ivan through art. Ivan finds a new connection when a baby elephant is introduced to the mall and challenges his idea of “what is a home?”.

This is a book for children who have a love for animals. It is a story written from the perspective of the animals. The book’s organized as if Ivan was writing journal entries about his life. The wording is perfect for teaching children how to find implications in a story. An example would be how cotton candy is described as “pink clouds you can eat.” Katherine Applegate explains the idea of loss in a way that is not too intense for a child. Children learn empathy by having to consider the feelings of the characters. They go through multiple types of relationships that any living thing would need such as friendships, family relationships, and romantic relationships. It is a great book recommendation for children who have a hard time finishing books as the events are easy to follow and are divided into short moments into Ivan’s days. Reading the One and Only Ivan will change your mindset on the lives of animals.