Order of Book Series
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One and Only Ivan Books in Order

One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate contains 4 books, published between 2012 and 2024. The first book is The One and Only Ivan (2012) and the newest is The One and Only Family (2024). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
4
Published
2012–2024
Pages on record
688 in 2 of 4 books
See all 4 books in order Printable One and Only Ivan checklist

The One and Only Ivan opens Katherine Applegate's series of animal stories for young readers. Ivan is a gorilla who has spent 27 years behind glass in a shopping mall enclosure, passing the time with television, painting and his friends Stella and Bob, until a baby elephant named Ruby arrives from the wild and changes how Ivan sees the place. Three more books follow, The One and Only Bob (2020), The One and Only Ruby (2023) and The One and Only Family (2024).

How many One and Only Ivan books are there?

One and Only Ivan has 4 books, released between 2012 and 2024.

One and Only Ivan Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 4 One and Only Ivan books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, book 1 of the One and Only Ivan series (2012)
  2. Cover of The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate, book 2 of the One and Only Ivan series (2020)
  3. Cover of The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, book 3 of the One and Only Ivan series (2023)
  4. Cover of The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate, book 4 of the One and Only Ivan series (2024)
  1. 1
    The One and Only Ivan2012 · 336 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2012336
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The One and Only Bob2020 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2020352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The One and Only Ruby2023 · confirmed 2/4
    2023–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The One and Only Family2024 · confirmed 2/4
    2024–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Is there a chronological order for One and Only Ivan?

No separate chronological order is on record for One and Only Ivan, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.

Do you have to read One and Only Ivan books in order?

You should read the One and Only Ivan books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each One and Only Ivan book also stands alone.

Where to start with One and Only Ivan

Start with The One and Only Ivan (2012), the earliest published title.

What is the newest One and Only Ivan book?

The One and Only Family (2024) is the newest One and Only Ivan book released so far.

Is there a new One and Only Ivan book coming?

No next One and Only Ivan book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Awards One and Only Ivan has won

Wikidata records 1 award for One and Only Ivan. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

One and Only Ivan at a glance

Still running
One and Only Ivan is still running, with a title published as recently as 2024.
Release pace
One and Only Ivan books have appeared about one every 4 years on average.
Length
688 pages across the 2 of 4 books with a recorded length, a median of 344 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most One and Only Ivan books, 3 of 4, were published in the 2020s.

What the One and Only Ivan books are about

3 of the 4 One and Only Ivan books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: elephants is tagged on 2 of 3. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

More books by Katherine Applegate

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.