Oh Katherine Applegate, why do you torture us so and make humans out to be complete jerks??? Because, my friends, sometimes we are when it comes to animals.
This message will stay with you forever. FOREVER!
The message in here is not pedantic so readers who hate books that they think are teaching them a lesson will love it. Who doesn’t love animals, right? On the surface, The One and Only Ivan is a sweet tale of Ivan and his friends at the Big Top Mall. But underneath, readers will understand that animals have feelings, deserve respect, and that humans can be cruel (and sometimes nice).
Why was I weeping over a giant Gorilla?
Because Ivan.
Did you cry too?