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The One and Only Ivan Chapters 72-76 Summary

colors, a bad dream, the story, how, remembering

  • Julia brings some brand new paint in a variety of colors so that she and Ivan can create new works of art. 
  • Ivan is mesmerized watching her work, and she introduces him to finger paint, which Ivan promptly tries to eat, though he soon delights in his new technique.
  • Ruby isn't sleeping well. 
  • She misses Stella and is worried that Mack will never forgive her for knocking him down with her trunk.
  • Ivan distracts her with some of the new art work, and adds the phrase artistic license to her growing vocabulary.
  • Ruby is eager to hear more stories now that Ivan is starting to divulge a little.
  • Bob told her that Ivan is going to "save her" and she wants to know if that's true.
  • Is she going to live her entire life in this domain like her Aunt Stella did?
  • Ivan tells her she won't if he can helps it, and also that what she lives in isn't a domain—it's a cage. 
  • Looks like Ivan is starting to change his tune.
  • Ivan tells Ruby a story—which he says is true—about a brave little elephant that gets a new place to live. 
  • This new place is called a zoo, and it's a lot safer than living at the mall.
  • Ruby wants to know how this baby elephant in the story gets to the zoo, and Ivan tells her that a friend makes it happen.
  • Bob and Ivan discuss how Ivan can keep his promise to Stella to save Ruby from this unnatural life. 
  • Ivan doesn't sleep that night, thinking about his promise.
  • Suddenly, he's flooded with memories of his childhood.