Final book in the One and Only Ivan series. Like the Bob and Ruby books, it takes place in the zoological park they all live in after getting moved out of the shabby mall circus. It’s got Ivan’s distinctive voice again, calm and musing, a bit philosophical. Ivan is facing a new chapter of his life: he’s going to be a father! He feels anxious about his ability to protect his growing family, or even understanding what that means. Here in the park, food is provided and there are no predators- it’s nothing like the jungle he remembers from his childhood. Even when his mate (and later, one of the infants) gets sick he feels powerless to help- she’s shut in a separate room and cared for by the humans (though there’s a window he can view through). Ivan steps into his new role as father best he can, overwhelmed a bit by the young ones’ antics (they’re twins!) and later troubled by their many questions. He doesn’t want to talk about his past, about the awful things that poachers did to his family in the wild, or the time he suffered in the mall cage. But he wants to educate his offspring and teach them, as well. About what they might have to face in their future (this also bothers him- that his children will never live free in the wild). The conversation is kind of forced on him near the end, when a documentary made about Ivan’s life, is shown on a big screen at the facility, and the apes can see it from their enclosure. He is upset, but handles it well. Near the very end of the story, a child falls into the gorilla enclosure. A young adult male in the troop reacts with aggression, but Ivan steps in and gently diffuses the situation, showing he can think of and protect the humans’ welfare too. Bob and Ruby are also part of this story, of course- offering constant advice and encouragement to Ivan (and providing some humor as well). Ruby’s grown up quite a bit in this book, with a new younger elephant shadowing her around.
It’s all very heartwarming with many touching remarks about parenthood, what it means to be family, caring for others- whether relatives or friends- how to be a leader, even more broadly discussing climate change, human destruction of wild habitats, poaching issues and so on. I appreciated all the sentiments, but I just- didn’t feel connected to any of it. It was as if I was reading the whole thing (emotionally) at arm’s length. Maybe the writing style. Maybe how much tell-and-not-show Ivan did with his narrative. Or maybe that some little things about how much the animals understood of human things, seemed unrealistic. Like what a documentary is. I’m sure this wouldn’t bother younger readers though, lots of people seem to love this book just as much as the first.
Borrowed from the public library.
