This is a powerful story that uses a gentle voice of animals to explore captivity, friendship and small acts of kindness. This book is narrated by Ivan, who is a silverback gorilla who has spent most of his life in a shopping mall enclosure. He considers himself an artist and a survivor.....because his past is tragic with how the humans have treated him and the family he loved.
Ivan becomes friends with a young elephant named Ruby and older one named Stella. Ruby starts to change what he thinks about where he is and their purpose. He is also friends with a stray dog named Bob that adds warmth and humor to the story.
Ivan is thoughtful and he really carries the books. Ruby is young and the emotional presence of the book. Ivan is protective of her. Stella is also wise.
This book asks the reader to see the world through Ivan's eyes and to realize the importance of treating animals humanely and importantly.
While this had some emotional, heartbreak moments of animal abuse, it will spark conversations about animal respect and how to be empathetic to those situations and the difference between right and wrong.
Content warnings: death of parent recounted, animal death, animal abuse explained
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8390987763
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cPiLCh
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