The One and Only Ivan

A silverback gorilla who has spent nearly 27 years as the main attraction at a run-down shopping-mall circus, communicating in art and memory as he decides to help a newly arrived baby elephant find a better life.

A baby elephant brought to the mall circus after her previous circus went bankrupt; her arrival is what moves Ivan to seek a better future for them all.

A stray dog who lives in Ivan's domain at the mall, sly and talkative, and prone to sleeping curled up on Ivan's chest.

An elderly elephant caged beside Ivan, scarred by years of hard treatment in traditional circuses; her failing health and her account of Ruby's origins push the story forward.