Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla is a picture book written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The story is about a gorilla named Ivan. Ivan was a baby gorilla that loved to play in the jungle with his family. Ivan swung from vines to vines. Once, Ivan went too far from his family. Ivan was alone and a hunter caught him and another baby gorilla. Ivan and the other gorilla was trapped in damp create for days. Until they arrived in Tacoma, Washington. The two baby gorillas were sold to a man who owned a shopping mall. All the people there treated the baby gorillas nicely. Once, the two gorillas entered a contest. Finally, Ivan was named Ivan. Before he entered the contest Ivan was unnamed. The other baby gorilla was named Burma. One day, Burma died. Ivan was all alone. Finally, until Ivan was 13, he started living in a cage in a mall. Ivan lived inside the cage for 27 years. Finally, the mall administration decided to send Ivan to Zoo Atlanta. Most of the people hoped Ivan will live a better life in Zoo Atlanta. Finally, Ivan arrived at Zoo Atlanta. Many people watched Ivan walking into the gorilla section. Ivan sat on the grass of the zoo and everyone cheered. Ivan was no longer alone. In the gorilla section, there were grass, fresh air, trees, plants, and especially, other gorillas. Today’s picture book was great. It’s talking about a gorilla getting caught and returning to the wild again. It’s sad that Ivan will never see his family or his friend Burma. In the past, it was pretty cruel for animals. It’s still the same now but rarely happen in most places. Many hunters catch wild animals for money and usually for most animals, they live in a cage for the rest of their life after they get sold. Glad to see that most people in this world threat animals with respect. I will rate the picture book a seven out of ten. I say this book is for ages 4-9. Picture books are usually for lower grades, but I think everyone should respect wild animals.