When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to an African rainforest, where the siblings encounter gorillas and learn to communicate with them.

Summoned to the Great Gorilla Villa by King Big Daddy to meet the newest member of their family, ten gorillas arrive on time using various forms of transportation, including hot-air balloon, taxicab, and pogo stick.

"A little boy has a lot of explaining to do when a gorilla comes over and makes a mess of the house--but that's not even the bad news"--

A boy and his father see strange and unusual things when their car breaks down and they are rescued by a gorilla.

Ruby's story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob. Now living in a wildlife sanctuary, Ruby's caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa where she grew up is visiting. Seeing him again brings back a flood of memories both happy and sad of her life before the circus, and she recounts the time she spent in the African savannah to Ivan and Bob.

Willy the Gorilla imitates the other animals at the zoo, but despite pretending he remains always a gorilla.

Before a little girl has a chance to name the cat that arrives unexpectedly at her house, he disappears again only to be replaced by another "pet," Steve the gorilla.