The One and Only Ivan Discussion Questions and Review

The One and Only Ivan Discussion Questions and Review written by the Elf. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

In This Post!
Parent Review of the Movie
Discussion Questions
Curriculum Extras for Teachers and Parents
Book Review

The One and Only Ivan Movie Parent Review

Know Before You Watch:

Movie: The One and Only Ivan
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 6+
Running Time: 1 hr 30 min
Release Date: 08/21/2020 to Disney Plus
Themes: Freedom, Family, Encouragement, Friendship, Hope, Ethical Animal Containment
Warnings: *Light Spoilers* Ivan is painfully separated from his father at a young age, we hear his father being shot by a poacher. Another animal dies peacefully but sadly, and a main characters mother is very sick. Nothing is inherently offensive in the movie and it is very family friendly.

The One and Only Ivan Movie Quick Summary:

Mack’s mall show is starting to fizzle. Ivan the incredible gorilla isn’t bringing in the crowds like he used to. So he finds a new headliner and Ivan isn’t sure how to feel about it. He would be content to draw with Julia and stay in his cage forever, but he wants freedom and protection for his friends. But what can a lone gorilla do? In this heartwarming movie, based on a true story, friendship and creativity save the day in more ways than one. And it’s based on a true story- read about it after the movie during the credits!

The One and Only Ivan Review: 

-Parent Review–

Everyone was cast very well! I was extremely impressed with the child actresses both voice and in person! And the CGI was very impressive. There were only a couple of moments that I was pulled out of the story by thinking ‘oh yeah, those aren’t real animals.’ Most of the time I was entirely drawn in. It was very well acted and the characters were developed beautifully! Of course there is more character development in the books, but the movie hit it out of the park in my opinion.

They did a really great job coloring the scenes- the more emotionally heavier scenes being darker, the happier ones being brighter. It really added to the overall impact of the story. The visuals were really well done. And to top it all off, they kept it super family friendly and appropriate!

–Favorite Moments– *Spoilers*

-The end made me tear up! I love a good happy ending!
-I loved every one of Julia and Ivan’s scenes and also Ruby and Ivan’s scenes!
-I thought they did a really nice job of telling the real life story after the movie in a really age appropriate way for a younger audience.
-When Ivan gets to see his friends again at the end of the movie, soooo beautiful!

The One and Only Ivan Discussion Questions: 

1) This book is a really popular read aloud- had you ever read it or heard the story of Ivan before?

2) If you had to perform one trick every single day, what would it be?

3) Who was your favorite character? why?

4) How does Julia help Ivan figure out how he can save Ruby?

5) Who believes in you like Stella and Julia believe in Ivan? Who do you believe in that you are encouraging?

The One and Only Ivan Curriculum Resources

We have a curriculum resource for the One and Only Ivan movie here on Teachers Pay Teachers. It includes a ten question quiz, some short answer questions, a couple of project prompts and a visual note taking page.

The author of the book has a FREE teaching guide and discussion guide for the book that you can find right here.

The One and Only Ivan Book

Book: The One and Only Ivan Discussion Questions
Author: Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Patricia Castelao
Pages: 336
Genre: Fiction based on a True Story
Published: 2012
Age Suggestion: 8+

Quick The One and Only Ivan Book Summary:

Ivan is a silverback gorilla who lives in a mall. Aside from a daily performance, the mall also makes money off of his drawings. Ivan has always been an artist, and so has his human friend Julia. Ivan would be content drawing with Julia and watching westerns on his TV. But then something happens to his friend Stella, an elephant that also lives in the mall. Determined to make things better for the new mall animals- Ivan uses his art to make a big difference.

Why Read It?:

It’s a really engaging, touching, and fun read! It’s a great elementary read aloud or a quick read for middle school on up! A sweet story that reminds us of the importance of art, friendship and most importantly- of kindness.

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