The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate

Mar 2013 · HarperCollins · Narrated by Adam Grupper

About this audiobook

The #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan is now a major motion picture streaming on Disney+

This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself. 

Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope.

The One and Only Ivan features first-person narrative; author's use of literary devices (personification, imagery); and story elements (plot, character development, perspective).

This acclaimed middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 8, for independent reading, homeschooling, and sharing in the classroom.

Plus don't miss The One and Only Bob, Katherine Applegate's return to the world of Ivan, Bob, and Ruby!

Ratings and reviews

my teacher read it to us it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAD😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😤😤😤😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😓😓😓😓😓 but... THE BOOK WAS INCREDIBLY AWSOME STUPENDOUSLY GREAT I have the book and i was out of control I read like SOOOO many times like KATHERINE UR THE BEST AUTHOR congrats I also heard there's gonna be a........... MOVIE I really wanna see it and ivan is real but he died at the age of 52 I think he was brought to a zoo so yeah I really tried not to cry but I had to like of course u cry!!!

My kids and I love this book. We listened to it while having to go on a long drive. Easy to follow. Sad Story, but we love the ending.

I loved this book very much when my teacher read it to me it is so heart warming

About the author

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the One and Only series, the Endling series, Crenshaw, Wishtree, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her family in Nevada.