The One and Only Family
by Katherine Applegate; illus. by Patricia Castelao
Intermediate    Harper/HarperCollins    272 pp.
4/24    9780063221123    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780063221147    $10.99

After Bob and Ruby have taken turns narrating the past couple of books, it’s only fitting that Ivan (The One and Only Ivan, rev. 1/12) returns as the narrator for the fourth and final volume of the quartet. The gorilla protagonist now lives a good life in the wildlife park, far removed from his traumatic past filled with abuse and neglect at Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He is surrounded by close friends, both human and animal, who sustain him and understand him, many having gone through trauma themselves. Now Ivan and his mate are about to be parents and must grapple with what this means: “‘But it’s my job to protect them from the world,’ I said. ‘It’s our job to prepare them for the world,’ Kinyani responded, arms crossed over her chest.” Offspring aren’t the only means of extending Ivan’s legacy: he is the subject of a forthcoming documentary. Tragedy almost strikes at the premiere when the filmmaker’s son finds himself in the gorilla enclosure with an enraged silverback bearing down on him. Ivan rises to the challenge, both as a father and as a leader. This volume doesn’t stand alone as well as the others, and that’s okay. It’s a wonderful farewell tour for these endearing characters and the themes that they have come to embody so well: adversity, resilience, and hope.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.