Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate


Stars

Summary (taken from copyright page): 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.

I rarely cry in books, but this one had me sniffling a few times. Even though the language is simple (a children's book after all) you really get a sense of the feelings for Ivan and his friends. I was first afraid that the story would turn out too preachy or one-sided in regards to animal rights but you also feel for the human characters and understand the reasoning behind their actions. A quick and enjoyable read, I highly recommend this one.