Donkeys don't feature in picture books as much as many other animals, except at Christmas when they often become the narrator or a first-hand witness at the birth of Jesus in books such as The Christmas Story as Told by Assellus the Christmas Donkey by Janet Duggan and The Donkey's First Christmas by Susanne T. Schroder. However some stories that do feature donkeys make worthwhile reading and are often memorable. A favourite of mine from my early teaching days is Lydia Pender's The Useless Donkeys and no doubt it can still be found in some school libraries. The newer The Wonky Donkey with its accompanying CD and toy is a favourite with the children and parents in my library. Michael Morpurgo's story about Jo-Jo which originally appeared as a Yellow Banana reader has now been re-illustrated and published as a picture book with Helen Stephens' illustrations. Don't forget all the Anzac stories that feature Simpson and his donkey or other stories where donkeys play an integral role. And, if you are looking for a fairytale you could always revisit Perrault's Donkey Skin where the princess wears a donkey skin in order to avoid the king.Here are some donkey stories I have put out on display this week.
• Donkeys by Adelheid Dahimene
• The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith
• How Many Donkeys? An Arabic Counting Tale by Margaret Read MacDonald
• Jo-Jo the Melon Donkey by Michael Morpurgo
• Crash Bang Donkey by Jill Newton
• The Magic Donkey Ride by Giles Andreae
• The Useless Donkeys by Lydia Pender
Together with the humorous donkey and goat series by Simon Puttock:
• Goat and Donkey and the Noise Downstairs
• Goat and Donkey in the Great Outdoors
• Goat and Donkey in Strawberry Sunglasses
