A gorilla captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington mall. Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Apes, Monkeys, etc. The real-life inspiration for The One and Only Ivan.Ivan lived like a human until he began to grow into a silverback gorilla.

'The text is streamlined but powerful, and younger kids who aren’t up for the linguistic and emotional challenges of Applegate’s fictional account of Ivan will find this a thoughtful and intriguing introduction older readers who have read The One and Only Ivan may enjoy it as well.' - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Product Details Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Did you know that the book is based on a real gorilla yes Ivan is a real gorilla. Like the character in The One and Only Ivan book and movie, the true story reveals that he likely lived in a troop (a group of eight to ten gorillas). A heartfelt tribute to a magnificent animal.” - Shelf Awareness, starred review Ivan is a mighty silver back which means he is the leader of the pack. “Applegate's spare text gives readers just enough grounding to follow Ivan's journey, while Karas's artwork fills in Ivan's emotional life through the gorilla's engaged expressions and body language-no image more triumphant than Ivan's release into Zoo Atlanta. 'Gently paced, with moving but reassuring images, this is an age-appropriate introduction to the issues of captivity and animal welfare.' - Kirkus Reviews You may be surprised to learn that The One and Only Ivan a new Disney+ movie that began streaming on Fridayis based on the true story of a real-life silverback gorilla named Ivan.

Book ivan the gorilla