This
week, please welcome Perry!Tell us a little about yourself: what is your first name, how old are you, and what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
My name is Perry. I'm eight years old but I am about to be nine. I like vanilla best.
What book did you read and why did you choose it?
I read The One and Only Ivan because my mom gave it to me and said it was really good.
Can you describe this book in one word?
Hopeful.
What was your favorite part of this story?
I liked when Ivan's friends helped him feel better. I also liked it when he started drawing because I really like to draw, too.
If you had a problem similar to the main character's problem, what would you do?
I would be really mad like Ivan. I would break the cage and run away.
What would you say to your best friend to convince them to read this book?
I wrote a book review for my teacher and my class, and I told them that Ivan is fun to read because the chapters are short but he says a lot.
What do you think about the book's cover?
I liked that Ivan was with his friend. But he also looked sad.
Would you want to read another book about these characters? Why or why not?
I want to read another book with Ivan's friends. I want to know what happens with all of them after the story.
Can you name another book that reminds you of this one?
It made me think of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, because that story was sad, too. But it was different because it was set in Japan.
If you could ask the author one question about this book what would it be?
Why did you choose to make Ivan a gorilla?
This question has an answer that some of you may not know:
Ivan's story is based on a real gorilla named Ivan who really did live in a shopping mall for 27 years. The real Ivan ended up moving to a better environment at Zoo Atlanta. You can read more about the story in Katherine Applegate's picture book, Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla.
As a bonus, Perry also wanted to share this exercise he completed in his third grade class about Ivan!
***Thank you Perry for sharing this cool story with us! ***
The blurb:
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
It was amazing and sad and I even cried when I was reading actually sobbed. I think this is an amazing story and she be an ongoing story forever. Amazing work Katherine Applegate.
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