It was so delightful to be back with Ivan, Ruby and Bob as we meet Ivan's new family in this series finale. Students will gobble this one up!

Ivan and Kinyani have twins! Ivan must find a way to be a silverback while in captivity and come to terms with never being in the wild again.

What a delightful sequel to "The One and Only" series. Applegate's books are truly beloved in my Media Center and this latest addition certainly reaffirms that sentiment.
Ivan is now grown up and becomes a dad himself and a father to twins at that. We are, once again, reunited with Bob and Ruby, who are as heartwarming, as ever! Ivan's past challenges are sensitively discussed and not glossed over.
Beautifully done!

In the heartwarming finale to the series that began with The One and Only Ivan, Ivan becomes a father to lively twins. After his difficult life of mistreatment, Ivan now lives in a wildlife sanctuary with his friends, including the young elephant Ruby and the former stray dog Bob. As Ivan prepares for fatherhood with fellow gorilla Kinyani, he tries to come to terms with his past and the heartbreaking knowledge that poachers killed his parents.
Author Katherine Applegate tackles this tough theme with honesty and sensitivity, making this a poignant read for young readers familiar with the previous books in the series.

Love, love, love! We all first fell in love with Ivan, Bob, and Ruby. And there is no way not to love them. We laughed and cried together. I loved this book and will definitely be purchasing it for our library.

The fourth in the quartet. In their new zoo habit, Ivan and Kinyani learn they are expecting. As Ivan prepares himself to be a dad, he is reminded of his younger years. Readers will experience friendship, love and empathy as they read what family truly means to Ivan.

What a sweet ending to the One and Only quartet of stories! Ivan becomes a dad in this last installment. I loved how Katherine Applegate puts Ivan's worries about impending fatherhood into kid-friendly language so that maybe they will understand where their own parents are coming from with their concerns. It was awesome to see the whole group of Ivan, Bob, and Ruby back together. While her previous books were sadder, I found this one more hopeful and light. Maybe that was me? Yes, there were parts where there was some melancholy and anxiety, but not nearly as much as Ivan's first book. Definitely purchasing a copy or two for my school library!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the last in this series.

Ivan's a dad in this conclusion to The One and Only Ivan series! This book does a great job wrapping up this series, and fans will be happy with last iteration.

"It w as like everything in their lives. In our lives. A compromise between being free and being captive.
Shades of gray."

Ivan was born in the jungle but has been in captivity for most of his life. When Ivan's family expands, it further complicates his struggle between his past life and his present - and the only life his children may ever know. This charming book continues the story of Ivan, with visits from his pals Ruby and Bob, as he faces more change in his life. Be prepared for a pull on your heartstrings as well as the a smile of joy as Ivan pushes forward with his new life.

I have read every one of these books. The story of Ivan is so powerful, and it is a joy to see him as a parent. Your heart breaks for him as his wife and child fight a mysterious illness. My kids and I read this book together and it was beautiful for all of us.

I loved this last book in the One and Only Ivan family series! It was a nice culminating story to share one last time of Ivan's, Bob's, and Ruby's stories. It would help to read all the books in order or at least Ivan's story before reading this book. You should keep tissues close by while reading, just in case. I really, really loved hearing from Ivan again and all his friends. I liked reading about how Ivan was dealing with changes and realizations too (I don't want to give too much away). I think readers will be able to relate to things happening in the story on many different levels.

A must-have for all libraries! A must-read as well! All these books in the series including this one, would be great classroom or family read-alouds.

#KatherineApplegate #OneAndOnlyFamily #OneAndOnlyIvan #OneAndOnlyBob #OneAndOnlyRuby #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #ReadABook #Books #Read #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads #MGReads MGBooks #MGLit

I love this family! It has been such a pleasure to follow Ivan and his family, especially as they grow in The One and Only Family. In this story, Ivan and Kinyani grow their family with twins! At first, Ivan is unsure of how to welcome this unexpected change, especially given his life and all that's happened, however once his babies, Tuma and Raji are born, everything changes for the better.

I love that this continuous coming of age story and it's a beautiful way to finish telling the story of Ivan, Bob and Ruby. My students will be sad to know this is the last book, however this series has served them well!

Always a pleasure to read about Ivan. And as a parent, I could relate to the new parenthood theme in this book. I think kids will like it. It's easy to understand and very Age-appropriate. I'll be recommending it to upper elementary/lower middle.

Any time spend in Ivan's world is a good time. I just heard Katherine Applegate talk about this book and she was saying she never imagined Ivan's story would end up being a quartet. Well, we are all so glad that it did! Reading The One and Only Family was like sitting by a warm fire with a hot cup of cocoa, snuggled in a comfy blanket. This one is never going to be on the shelf because kids are always going to be reading it!

Thank You To NetGalley for the free w-ARC.

I had mixed emotions about this book. I was hesitant to start reading as that would mean this beautiful serious was over. With a few tears, I said good-bye to this gem of a book and a series. It was lovely to see how far Ivan and his friends had come. It was a tear jerker to hear Ivan's story told again and to see him become a father for the first time. His struggle with telling his story to his kids and the realization that may not ever be free. I love Katharine Applegate!

A beautiful way to finish telling the story of Ivan, Bob and Ruby. In this, the last book in the series, it’s Ivan’s turn again to have his story told. This time he and his partner are becoming parents! Ivan tries to come to terms with the fact that he and his children will most likely never be free again, and what that means to his family. Wonderful story.
Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC,

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperCollins for the ARC. I have read every book in this series and they have become part of my heart. Katherine Applegate brings Ivan and his family and friends to life by her words and pictures. In this book Ivan and his mate are having a baby and they have to learn how to be great parents. Lucky they have their found family to help them get ready. Is book is a must for my school Library.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm such a huge fan of Ivan and his friends. I was ecstatic to come across this title. There was a brief moment where I was afraid that it might take a turn that would make it possibly the worst book I'd ever read. Thankfully, that did not happen. Applegate absolutely delivers with this volume. I'm sad to know that this will be the last book.

An Ivan sequel is a must-buy, due to the following these books have at my libraries; this one was appealing to me as an adult due to Ivan's reflections on parenting and memories. A good parent-child read.

A beautiful ending to the series by Katherine Applegate. Ivan becomes a father and knows his job is to protect, provide, and...love. The twins' names mean hope and the book ends on a hopeful note.