Thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperCollins for the ARC. I have read every book in this series and they have become part of my heart. Katherine Applegate brings Ivan and his family and friends to life by her words and pictures. In this book Ivan and his mate are having a baby and they have to learn how to be great parents. Lucky they have their found family to help them get ready. Is book is a must for my school Library.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm such a huge fan of Ivan and his friends. I was ecstatic to come across this title. There was a brief moment where I was afraid that it might take a turn that would make it possibly the worst book I'd ever read. Thankfully, that did not happen. Applegate absolutely delivers with this volume. I'm sad to know that this will be the last book.

An Ivan sequel is a must-buy, due to the following these books have at my libraries; this one was appealing to me as an adult due to Ivan's reflections on parenting and memories. A good parent-child read.

A beautiful ending to the series by Katherine Applegate. Ivan becomes a father and knows his job is to protect, provide, and...love. The twins' names mean hope and the book ends on a hopeful note.

Ivan's beloved series is a favorite in my library since I was local to where he lived when I was a young girl. In this installment, we find another heartwarming story that captures the reader's heart and mind. This final installment gives us all insight to strength, friendship, and love you find in life's challenges and journeys. A warm thank you to the author, illustrator, and publisher for giving us the gift of this series. It was perfect.

Ivan's final chapter unfolds in The One and Only Family, and it's as heartwarming and hopeful as you'd expect. Returning to the familiar faces of this beloved series was pure joy, especially witnessing the tenderness of Ivan's newfound fatherhood and his poignant reflections on his past. Applegate seamlessly weaves past and present, reminding us of the characters we met along his journey and how they shaped his life. This is a story about embracing second chances, the unwavering power of love and family, and the quiet strength it takes to overcome loss and forge a new path. Fans of the series will find their hearts overflowing, and anyone seeking a deeply moving tale of resilience and hope won't want to miss it.

Reading "The One and Only Family" was like returning home after being away for awhile. It felt comfortable rejoining Ivan, Ruby, and Bob in another story about their lives. I am so thrilled to have one more story in this series. Seeing how Ivan is adjusting to live at the zoo and now as a dad of twins- it was just something so special. Thank you to Katherine Applegate for once again blessing us all with her gift of story. It's perfection.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an e-arc of The One and Only Family. I have enjoyed this fast-paced series written in verse. Each one allows the reader to truly understand the characters and what makes them each unique. This one revolves around Ivans relationship with Kinyani and then his relationship with his twins (Tuma and Raji). The worries he has and how much is he willing to tell his twins about his past. Ivan ultimately discovers the importance of stories and that as Kinyani tells him, "it's not about protecting [the twins] from the world, it's preparing them for it". A hard lesson for any parent, as parents human, animal, etc. can't protect their young from every single aspect of the world, it is not possible. A great book to end the One and Only Quartet. Thank you Katherine Applegate for writing this truly powerful series.

“I am Ivan. And I am a dad.”
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Ivan gets to see Ruby and Bob as he continues to live his life in the wildlife sanctuary. He has his mate, Kinyani, and life is so much better than it used to be. When Ivan finds out he’s going to be a father, he immediately starts worrying about what kind of dad he’s going to be. When the twins are born, everything Ivan thought he knew is thrown at the window. It’s a terrifying, yet wondrous experience, but Ivan constantly wonders how much he should share with the twins about his past. In protecting them, he also not being honest. How will Ivan protect his kids but also prepare them for the world?
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I’m so sad this masterful MG quartet by @kaaauthor is ending. I’ve been with Ivan since book 1 and am going to miss him and his extended family. This novel made me laugh and cry and was the perfect way to end this series. This title releases May 7. 5 ⭐️

CW: death (recounted), captivity, climate crisis, endangered animals, blood

The One and Only Family is a fitting conclusion to a series that has filled so many hearts from the moment Ivan was introduced to the world. Katherine Applegate’s beloved and wise characters give us a perfect handbook on how to be a good being in a world that isn’t always fair and often very confusing. We should all strive to be more like them.