"Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan things about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and and a well-placed line.
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 arrived, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better." - amazon.com
Mrs. Bartholomew's class was so moved by the characters that they began researching about zoos and finding out more about the animals in the book. In their research, they stumbled upon a website for The Elephant Sanctuary, which is a 2,700 acre refuge for African and Asian elephants.
They have enjoyed going to the website and finding the elephants as they roam around the property and, next week, they will have the chance to talk with folks at the Sanctuary via a webcam to learn even more about the different types of elephants and how the Sanctuary helps theses majestic creatures.
