My eight-year-old daughter recommended this at the library the other day. I thought it sounded cute, so I borrowed it... and then tore through it in just a couple sittings. Granted, this isn't the most original book ever. Parts of it reminded me of Charlotte's Web, but the real strength here is the voice. And such a voice! The book's narrator is an ape, and just a few pages into this book, I really felt like I was listening to a story told by an ape. The POV and voice made this book something special. And just for the heck of it, here's my daughter's review of the book: 
 "I am glad that I recommended this book, and I enjoyed hearing my teacher read it out loud to my second grade class. Whenever my class had to stop where we were in the book, I of course did my work, but I could NOT stop wondering... what will happen next? When will we continue with the book? When will we finish the book? So look for The One And Only Ivan. And when you finish reading it, look for other Katherine Applegate books. I will keep a look out for other Katherine Applegate books too! Overall, I think The One And Only Ivan is an excellent book!"