At the first annual meeting of WOOF–Words of Our Friends–assorted dogs preserve their heritage by sharing tales of canines throughout history, including Abu, who ruled all of Egypt except for one pesky cat, and Zippy, who simply must find the squeaky toy.
Have you ever noticed how many dog books are sad? I decided to sniff out one that wasn’t, and dug up a dog story about dogs telling stories. The WOOF Society (Words of our Friends) have gotten together to share stories about dogs AND prove that they more much more than “sit” and “stay.” They begin their first meeting by reciting their motto, “Woof! Woof! Woof!” Then dogs begin to tell stories of other dogs. Jack, whose person is an archaeologist, tells the story of Abu, the dog who was the king of Egypt. Einstein, who is very smart, explains why dog names are so important. Mimi just gives dog tips (to get table food without begging, sit beside the baby). I cannot promise that nothing sad happens, but the dogs are all OK! Woof! Woof! Woof!
The Newbery Medal book for this year, announced in January, was The One and Only Ivan…a story based on a real gorilla who used to live at Zoo Atlanta. Today at 3:30pm zookeepers at Zoo Atlanta will be presenting a webcast to remember Ivan, who died August 20, 2012. Ivan was a beloved zoo resident missed by many.
From Zoo Atlanta : “We’ll discuss the real Ivan, who called Zoo Atlanta home for 18 years. From the jungles of Africa to the shores of the Pacific Northwest to The Ford African Rain Forest at Zoo Atlanta, his life has become a symbol of the way animals shape our lives — and the power we have to shape theirs. We’ll be joined by our educator instructor Carvel Bennett and primate keeper Jodi Carrigan, who was Ivan’s close friend for 10 years.”
Ivan the gorilla lives at the Exit 8 Bigtop Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan lives in a small glass domain with nothing but a food bowl, a stuffed toy and a television…and the humans that come and press their faces to the glass and point and stare. The zoo owner sometimes gives Ivan a crayon or paint. Ivan likes to draw pictures.
Hello. I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks. People call me the Freeway Gorilla. The Ape at Exit 8. The One and Only Ivan. Mighty Silverback. The names are mine, but they’re not me. I am Ivan, just Ivan, only Ivan. (pages 1-2)
Doesn’t that remind you of Harry Potter when he says to Hagrid in the Sorcerer’s Stone movie, “But I’m just…just Harry!”
Ivan does have a couple friends, an old elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob that sneaks into Ivan’s cage every night to sleep on his warm belly. The three of them get by. They don’t talk much about what could be better, they just deal with every day. When the Exit 8 Big Top owner realizes attendance is way down he buys a baby elephant, a terrified baby elephant named Ruby, to make more people want to visit.
We’ve got a new arrival. This is Ruby, folks. Six hundred pounds of fun to save our sorry butts. This gal is gonna sell us some tickets.” (page 69)
Ruby’s arrival makes Stella and Ivan see their situation in a different way. Stella, in particular, can’t stand the idea of Ruby growing up at the mall. While Ivan and Stella have grown old and gotten to the point where life at the mall is good enough, they don’t think life at the mall is good enough for Ruby. So, in the spirit of Charlotte’s Web, Ivan hatches a plan hoping to save Ella from a lonely life at the mall, a plan that just might save the others too. You’ll cry and cheer both. It’s cool to see Ivan get his Mighty back. He isn’t just Ivan. He’s Ivan the Mighty Silverback. Author: Katherine Applegate
Ivan’s story is based on a real gorilla that lived for 27 years in a mall zoo but now lives at Zoo Atlanta in a habitat made especially for gorillas. Ivan will turn 50 this year! You can read about him and the effort it took to move him to his current home.
NPR: Ivan Dies at 50 – a Gorilla Life Remembered Best Quote “Ivan’s story has touched thousands of people. He reminded us that even as we must face the “big” conservation and environmental problems with an ecosystem approach, we can’t forget the individuals, each of whom has a story, a personality and a history.” ~Barbara J. King Now Katherine Applegate’s book will help Ivan’s story touch thousands more.
Annnnd did you know our own Indianapolis Zoo plans a New Gorilla Exhibit to open in 2013?
If you like Ivan here are some more stories that imagine what life would be like from the animal’s point of view. We can never really know of course, but it IS interesting to imagine. You also might like to read about the gorilla Koko. Koko learned sign language, which makes you wonder if we CAN learn a little about what animals think. The last four books are about scientists who study gorillas in the wild or in captivity. Really, really fascinating. And I’m warnin’ ya…the animal stories will make you cry, just like Ivan. If you have a pet you’ll go hug it and think more about your responsibility and what it means to have an animal friend.
Using rhyming text, explores the homes of various animals, including spiders, moles, warthogs, and tree frogs, and describes how the animals use these homes for protection or for hunting food. Author: Catherine Ham
Animals are awesome, but let’s face it; there are a bazillion animal books out there. Emilie, you ask, why should I read this one? (Let’s pretend you asked that.) This book is different. It’s about animal homes. Not only that, there are incredible pictures of the animals in their homes. Also, the book rhymes. Did you know the spittlebug (I didn’t even know there was a spittlebug) makes his house from his spit? It looks like bubble wrap. There are ants that build enormous nests high up in trees. Do you know what a warthog home looks like? You will if you read this book!
Recommended by: Emilie Lynn – East 38th Street Branch
Alex, Alice and Alistair think they are just three ordinary mice, until Alistair mysteriously vanishes. Then Alex and Alice learn a secret about their family: a secret which means Alistair’s life is in danger – unless Alex and Alice can find him first. So begins a hair-raising journey. Author: Frances Watts
Alistair, with his ginger fur, might not look like Alex and Alice, but these mice triplets stick together. When Alistair mysteriously disappears, his siblings are determined to find their brother and rescue him. As the story alternates between the siblings’ journeys, they discover secrets about their parents and who they really are that could put them in harm’s way. Their journey brings them into contact with a variety of characters as they stumble into a secret resistance movement. Can Alistair, Alex, and Alice make wise decisions about who to trust? And will they uncover the truth about ginger-furred mice?
This is my dog. Her name is Layle. She’s a golden retriever and she is 2 years old. She took her first class at Indy Humane when she was 5 months old. The class was for puppies to learn how to play together. Since then she has completed 2 levels of obedience classes. Someday, she will be a therapy dog that can visit nursing homes, hospitals…and the library!
In this picture she is practicing “wait”. She doesn’t want me to read anymore. She wants to go for a walk!
If you have a dog and would like to learn how to communicate with him/her you should try the Dog Communications Class. One of the best things I learned in dog class was how to “speak dog”. Most of the time, Layle just needed to understand what I was asking her to do. She learned English words like “wait,” “come,” and “sit,” but we had to practice a lot. She learned English and I learned how to “speak dog”! I know what she means when she looks at me like this and wags her tail. She is saying, “I am waiting patiently because I love you but you have been reading for a long time and I want to go for a walk now!”
Dog Communications Class Adults and families are invited as representatives from the Humane Society explain what your dog may be saying to you when he is stubborn, bites, or doesn’t seem to be listening. Attendees will learn the tools to “speak dog.” A dog will be in attendance. Schedule
Pets: Stories & Safety Children ages 4 – 7 and an adult are invited as Rebecca Warren of the Humane Society shares with them some of the basics of pet ownership. The focus will be on cats and dogs. A dog may be in attendance at this program. Schedule
Books and dogs are a great combination! The Paws to Read dogs are at several library branches. They love to listen to stories! Ask your parents if you can come and have a turn reading out loud to Gracie or Dandy!
We have some great dog books too! Books can help you learn about dog training, dog rescue and working dogs. There are also some OUTSTANDING dog stories. Give some of these a try:
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