tle, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope. An author's note depicts the differences between the fictional story and true events.t art. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home and his own art through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. The One and Only Ivan was hailed as a best book of the year by Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Amazon and earned four starred reviews. In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope. An author's note depicts the differences between the fictional story and true events.