So, what did you guys think of the first book? Did you like it? I wasn't sure at first, but before I knew it I was halfway through and fully invested in Ivan, Bob, Stella and Ruby. The animals' situation tugged at my heartstrings, but I was grateful that Max wasn't really that evil of a villain (he used the claw stick what, once? and got a lot more pain in return!) and you had hope that somehow they would end up in a better place.
I thought it was interesting for Ivan to explain that a good zoo is how humans make amends (pg 64). Do you guys agree with that? My first thought was, no, just leave them in the wild to begin with - then you don't need to make amends. Also, I don't think we could ever completely make amends, but only merely try. I guess if zoos were only places of refuge for rescue animals - like Ruby and Ivan - then Ivan has a point. However, aren't plenty of animals brought straight from the wild into zoos? I guess I don't know for sure, but I don't think there's enough circuses and deranged ex-wild-pet-owners to fill zoos. Where would the hyenas come from if that were the case? I guess babies born into captivity make up a decent percentage of zoo population too...I don't know, I'm not really that passionate about animal rights, and I definitely don't think zoos these days are cruel, particularly as an alternative to other forms of captivity, but I think that humans would best make amends by leaving wild animals be and letting them live in their natural habitat. What do you guys think?
Another passage I marked as I read was this: "Human babies are an ugly lot. But their eyes are like our babies' eyes. Too big for their faces, and for the world." (pg 140). This sounded profound when I read it, so I marked it, but now that I think about it I can't really make heads or tails of what the author is trying to get it. Eyes too big for the world? What do you think she means?
I loved how this story progressed - the development, climax and resolution. I loved the scene where Julia is about to give up on Ivan's picture puzzle and he gives his mighty silverback roar. Despite the simplistic writing style, I was right there with Ivan emotionally, willing Julia to figure it out, to find the "M" in "HOME," to see the message that he was desperate to convey. I felt his despair turn to triumph as she pieced it together in the middle of the sawdust ring and again as she convinced her dad to hang it from the billboard. I felt Ivan's angst and trepidation as he prepared to leave a lesser, but known and familiar existence, for a better but different and unknown place. I felt Ivan's joy at seeing apes on a screen (without commercials or narrators!) and then in person, and an even greater joy at seeing Ruby on the screen in her new habitat, and again from the tree. Maybe it was because of, not despite, the simplistic writing style, the seemingly simple characters, that the author was able to pull us in emotionally. Were you pulled in like I was? I'm also glad that the author provided a means for Ivan (and therefore me
through Ivan's eyes) to get closure at the end about all of his friends, from Ruby
to Bob to Julia.
Despite my doubt that good zoos are by any means adequate amends for pulling a creature from its wild habitat, I was thrilled to find Ivan and Ruby in a zoo by the end of the book, with animals of their own species to love and interact with. Both simple and complex, depending on how you peel back the layers, I loved this book and wholly endorse its Newbery award.
Now tell us your thoughts!
I liked the book, but I thought it was pretty simple and short. I also felt about 2/3 of the way through that I was reading a retelling of Charlotte's Web (which is a fairly accurate description). In the end, it was touching and I was happy with the conclusion.
ReplyDeleteI have thought a lot about Zoos these last few years. Having children, I have softened towards zoos because it's wonderful to be able to introduce your children to these animals up close. That said, I feel a lot more comfortable with a zoo like the Seattle Zoo, than the Boise Zoo. At the Seattle Zoo, there is so much space, the animals have a lot of room to roam and interact. But I know that the Boise Zoo is trying to be a good zoo too and they seem to take good care of their animals (and we visit fairly often). I am still firmly against circuses, because it seems like a cruel way to keep animals, so we do not go to those.
I will try to get more intellectual as I read these books, but that's what I have to say about this one. Love you guys. :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Aubrey! You are plenty intellectual already. :)
DeleteI liked Chrissy's analysis as much as I liked the book. What a smart, articulate sister we have! I was torn about the "a zoo is how humans make amends" concept as well. Maybe from the character's limited perspective it is true.
ReplyDeleteI thought the "Home" and zoo picture were a little cheesy. But I was also cheering when Julia figured it out.
I liked how the author added Ruby to the story (even though there was no real-life Ruby) to give Ivan someone (something) to fight for. It reminded me of the mama bear claws I get when I'm standing up for my kids. It also reminded me of a saying that Mom sent me the other day - "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength. Loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao-tzu
The love I have for my kids gives me courage (maybe motivation more than courage) to make life better for them (and for myself in the process).
From Tyler:
ReplyDeleteI liked the book. My favorite characters were Ivan and Ruby. Ruby was cute and Ivan was a cool, totally awesome gorilla. The end was good because they got into a bigger environment and Ivan could see the elephants from his cage.
So fun to read your comments! I loved the book - and even got a little teary at the sad and happy parts.
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by the concept that maybe animals understand far more than we realize. Do they understand our language? Do they have cognitive abilities to understand nuance and empathy and past/present/future? If we believed all this, would we interact with them differently and understand them better?
I'm loving this book club! I'm going to have a Newberry library!
Cameron says:
ReplyDeleteThe book was awesome. My favorite characters were Bob and Ivan because Ivan was so creative with the letters that made the word "HOME". I liked Bob because he was so sarcastic. I liked how much imagination was in this book. The book was great.
Thank you all for your comments! I especially love the kids' contributions. Anything from the Bousquets or brothers or Dad? This so much fun!
ReplyDeleteMy feelings about zoos are pretty much the same as Aubrey's. The larger ones seem to do a good job and many of the animals do seem to be ones that were injured at some point or born into captivity. I think the good zoos help raise people's awareness of conservation issues. The National Zoo out here just finished a huge project of making a gigantic elephant habitat; I'm excited to see it because it sounds really cool. I think the smaller zoos need to be regulated more closely and closed if they can't meet a very strict standard of care. Circuses just make me feel a kind of queasy because I think it's terrible for animals to live that kind of life, even if they aren't "mistreated" which I suspect they usually are. A year or so ago there was a fairly well publicized trial against Barnum and Bailey's Circus and their treatment of elephants. In the end, Barnum and Bailey's were allowed to keep using elephants; I wish they hadn't.
ReplyDeleteI liked the story. It was sweet. Some parts were cheesy (but then again, it's a kids' book), but I still felt like I was easily drawn into it and enjoyed it a lot.