The One and Only Ivan is a work of fiction, but the inspiration for this imagined tale lies in a true story. Ivan spent 27 years of his life alone in a cage. When I started to write about the grim facts of Ivan’s solitary existence, a new tale slowly began to take shape. At least on the page, where anything is possible, I wanted to give Ivan (even while captive behind the walls of his tiny cage) a voice of his own and a story to tell. I wanted to give him someone to protect, and the chance to be the mighty silverback he was always meant to be.   ~Katherine Applegate

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