When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
Raising questions about the morality of animals in captivity, and coping with dark and challenging situations, the 2013 Newbery Award winner is both emotionally powerful and gorgeously written. Ivan is a quiet, observant silverback gorilla who lives in a glassed in cage in a mall. After years of watching and listening to humans, he is often disturbed by their habits and characteristics. With just one friend, an injured elephant named Stella, Ivan does his best to enjoy his artwork and avoid painful memories. However, when a baby elephant named Ruby is introduced, Ivan's life changes, creating the hope for something never dreamt of. Written in verse with black-and-white illustrations.
- Genre: Juvenile Fiction
- Subgenre: General, Animals / Zoos, Animals / Apes + Monkeys, Humorous Stories, Animals / Elephants, Social Issues / Friendship
- Age: 9-12 years
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Pages: 305
- Language: English
- Format: hardcover
- Release Date: January 17, 2012
- Date Published: January 17, 2012
- Author: Katherine Applegate
- Illustrator: Patricia Castelao