#20 in Children’s books
The One and Only Ivan
- 336
- Pages
- about 6 h
- Reading time
- Newbery Medal
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Our view
“The One and Only Ivan” is told by a gorilla kept in an enclosure at a shopping mall, and seeing that life through his eyes makes it very moving. Tender and sorrowful by turns, it may well bring tears. A children’s book drawn from the true story of an animal held for 27 years in such a place, it is one some adults take to just as warmly.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The One and Only Ivan is a 2012 novel written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao. Based on the true story of a silverback gorilla who spent 27 years living in a mall in Washington state, the novel is written from the point of view of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in an enclosure at a mall. In 2013, it was named the winner of the Newbery Medal. The novel was adapted into a Disney+ film in 2020, and has been followed by three sequels: The One and Only Bob (2020), The One and Only Ruby (2023), and The One and Only Family (2024).
Reading order · The One and Only Ivan
Full order & progress →- The One and Only IvanThis book
8.28.2 / 10 - The One and Only BobThe One and Only Bob–Not ranked yet
- The One and Only FamilyThe One and Only Family–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.5 across 178 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 55% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Children’s books average of 7.9. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 46 | 26% |
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 132 | 74% |
Frequently asked
What age is The One and Only Ivan for?
The One and Only Ivan sits on the Children shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 5–10. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 336 pages — longer than 82% of the ranked books in Children’s books.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Children’s books — with scores between 8.1 and 8.3, closest to this book.
