By Annie Kayleen Russell
In The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Ivan is a gorilla adapting to a domain placed in the center of a shopping mall. As Ivan finds himself the spectacle of visitors, he often wonders why he is not human or gorilla enough for the world. Ivan is the only gorilla in his domain. He finds companionship with a stray dog named Bob, an older elephant named Stella, and the janitor’s daughter named Julia.
Ivan doesn’t spend too much time thinking about the past. Instead, he finds himself fixated with painting just like Julia. In his domain, as Ivan calls it, Ivan often stares at the glass that separates him from the world. He paints what he sees. Which are usually banana peels.
The One and Only Ivan
I had not expected myself to read a children’s book about a gorilla. However, the concepts explored between the pages are emotions that people and animals can experience when separated from their respective populations or culture. Bob and Stella can relate to Ivan in many different ways, even though they are not gorillas. They each know how it feels to be alone, distant from others like themselves, and in need of freedom.
Stella, an older elephant with a swollen foot, has been through much turmoil and abuse from her circus days. But she’s always there to give Ivan wisdom and beautiful stories from her past. Bob, a stray mutt, often finds his way into Ivan’s domain and naps on Ivan’s belly. Their friendship is thoughtful and powerful and helps Ivan escape complete loneliness.
It is not until a baby elephant named Ruby arrives at the shopping center that Ivan finds himself forced to think about his real home in Africa. Ruby is a baby who yearns to hear stories. Ivan promises Stella on her deathbed that he shall help Ruby get a better life. However, Ivan realizes the task is going to be hard to achieve. Ivan uses his art and constant observation to save Ruby from the brutality of being the main attraction.
Ivan and Ruby are both sent to live in a zoo where they can live with other gorillas and elephants. And sweet Bob and Ivan say goodbye. Not before Ivan tells Bob to come with him. However, Bob refuses and tells Ivan that he’s a stray and the humans would notice. And there is where I started to weep. Ivan gives Bob his gorilla stuffed animal that had always reminded Ivan of his sister Tag, who died after their capture.
Spoiler Alert! Bob finds his forever home with Julia and can see Ivan and Ruby at the zoo.
Understanding Emotional Conflict
The point-of-view in this story is made up. However, there was an actual gorilla who had spent years encaged at a mall. After years of negative attention and comments about animal abuse, the gorilla was taken to a zoo. One of the most beautiful quotes in this book came from Stella. When Ivan asked her to tell him what a zoo was, she replied, ‘a place where humans make amends.’
When people take away the idea of someone or something having emotions and feelings, they create a separation between one thing and another. In Ivan’s case, some humans didn’t see Ivan as an animal with feelings and a real home. They saw him as an attraction, an animal that can paint. Julia treated Ivan, Bob, and Stella with kindness and compassion even more than Ivan’s owner Mack did.
Something I had not thought about was Ivan’s name. He freely goes by Ivan. His given name from his birth family was Mud because he liked to create art with mud. He does not think about his past to reframe from emotion conflicts. And that is a form of adaption and survivor mode. His sister, Tag, had not been so lucky. She wanted her family and feared what may come which led to her death.
Growing Up Different
Though this story is about animals, I understand why Ivan questions his identity when it comes to being human or gorilla.
When I was a newborn, I was adopted by a Caucasian family. For a while, that was my norm. I didn’t question it or think about the person I could have been if I had grown up in an African American family. My name was even changed from Zambia to Annie. When I was fourteen, I found my birth sisters on Myspace, and a whole new world emerged. It was an exciting time, but I also was so lost and confused.
I didn’t know my own culture or how to interact with my own family. And as I grew older, I found myself not feeling as if I belonged in my birth family or the family that adopted me. Don’t get me wrong, I have an abundance of love in my life. I’m blessed! But there are times I feel like an outsider looking in. Similar to Ivan, I found a stray dog who I named Lucky. She was that companion I needed, someone who understood me and listened. To Lucky, I wasn’t Annie or Zambia, I was just someone she loved. I always told her we adopted each other. Truth be told if animals could be soulmates, Lucky was mine.
Interpreting Animal Emotions
Animals have feelings and emotions, and they remember things. Living in a shopping mall for years is the equivalent of living in a prison cell. They don’t understand why they are being taken or where. But they are forced to adapt in order to survive.
Though Ivan finds a home at the zoo, it’s still sad to know that his gorilla family was shot so that Ivan could provide entertainment to a dead-end mall. This story makes you think twice about animal entertainment and animal neglect that could happen around you.
HeLP Animals In Need With YOur Donation
Donate – Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue
Can you imagine a world without gorillas? | AWF
Keep Our Planet Wild | World Wildlife Fund
Become-A-Wildlife-Warrior.pdf (australiazoo.com.au)
Don’t forget you can always donate to your local animal shelters, volunteer your time to help animals, fundraise money for animal havens, and always show compassion.
Annie Russell 