While The Big Wander is a work of fiction, the idea of a boy, burro, and dog adventuring in the canyon country was inspired by the wanderings of Everett Ruess, a real-life artist and vagabond who has become a legendary figure in the Southwest. The tiny dog who rides the burro’s pack in this story is named after Everett’s dog, Curly, as a tribute to this remarkable young man who disappeared in the canyons of the Escalante in 1934. His fate remains a mystery.