Ivan is a gorilla. Ivan was raised by humans and rarely remembers his childhood in the jungle. He likes to reflect on people that come to stare at him, on the elephant Stella that lives in the next cage, on the homeless dog Bob, who loves to sneak into Ivan's cage and sleep on his stomach, on the television programs that he watches in his cage. But most of all, Ivan thinks about painting, about how to convey on paper the taste of mango or rustling leaves. He loves to draw. One day, baby Ruby, a baby elephant who longs for her family and will, is brought to the circus. And then Ivan begins to look at the world differently. Ivan decides at all costs to achieve a better life for Ruby. The book is based on the real story of the gorilla Ivan, who spent many years in a roadside shopping center, and then was transported to the zoo. Ivan is really famous for his drawings, which he inspired in the "finger technique." This amazing story about friendship, art and hope is told on behalf of Ivan himself.