Global Read Aloud- Character Trading Cards

While reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, we feel like we've made new friends with the characters. Ms. Applegate is such a  good example of how to write characters. We wanted to share our thoughts about these characters from their point of view. We hope you enjoy them.

Ivan

My name is Ivan. I am a gorilla. I live in a domain at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. I used to be in the wild, but now I am not. I have been in my domain for nine thousand eight hundred and fifty-five days. I draw art work because I am an artist and my art work cost $20 in the mall's gift shop or $25 with the frame. I have a friend named Julia who is an artist too. Today, I drew a beetle and Mack said it looked like a big blob of nothing. Julia saw it an knew my art was of a beetle.

Stella

I'm an elephant named Stella,who remembers everything and loves to tell stories. I have scars on two of my feet from being chained when I was young. I live in the Big Top Mall with Ivan the gorilla. Ivan is one of my best  friends. He lives in the domain next to me. He is a 400 pound gorilla. I like to take care of the other elephant, named Ruby, in my domain.

Bob

Hi my name is Bob. I am of questionable heritage, which means I'm a stray. I live at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. I am nut colored and used to have many brothers and sisters. Now I'm on my own. Julia gave me my name. I don't let humans touch me because their scent upsets my digestion. I only let Julia touch me. I love TV. I prefer to watch professional bowling and cat-food commercials. Ivan and I enjoy western movies and romance movies.I am speedy and not tactful, but Ivan lets me sleep on his belly. He's a good friend.

Ruby

I am Ruby. I am a baby elephant. I make many noises like the trumpets they sell at the gift shop. I am shorter than Ivan who is a gorilla. I used to live in Africa. I am here because humans captured me. Humans killed my family and I was alone. I lived at a traveling circus for a month where they didn't feed me enough.Then Mack bought me and moved me to the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. I've met Stella, Ivan, Bob, and Julia.

Julia

Hi, I am Julia. I have black hair, a half-moon smile, and old clothes. I'm ten years old. My dad is George. He works at the Exit 8 Mall and Arcade to clean Ivan, the gorilla's cage, and all of the other areas in the mall.When I am at the mall and arcade center, I sit by Ivan's domain while doing homework and also while drawing. I like Ivan because he is smart and he likes to draw just like me.

Mack

Hi, my name is Mack. I work at the Exit Eight Mall. I am the boss so I answer the phone all day. I also feed a gorilla named Ivan because I don't have enough money to hire a gorilla babysitter. I do shows where I dress up like a clown and ride on a really tiny bike too. After that show, our elephant Stella does a show with Snickers, our dog. Stella stands on her hind legs and Snickers jumps on her back.If she doesn't do her trick, I have to swing the claw stick. I love my job at the mall.