we're not even done with this book, and I'm already reviewing it...I cried in the first five pages, and cry every time I read it to my son. Not because it's sad, well parts of it are, but it is beautifully written, and Applegate covers a topic that many don't consider: the point of view of animals on the food chain below us. Our love of circuses, zoos, and o

Ivan is a gorilla who entertains people behind his glass cage at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He paints, beats his chest, and throws poop balls. But he also does something unbeknownst to the humans. He communicates with the animals around him. There’s Stella, an injured elephant, and Bob, a stray dog, who are his friends.