Book: Dave the Donkey (part of the Lost Sheep Series)
Author/Illustrator: Andrew McDonough
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Lost Sheep Resources, Australia, 2012
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1 921229268
RRP: AUD $5.99 (Also available in electronic formats)

Reviewed By: Penny Reeve

Blurb: “Jerusalem. A lone rider approaches. The cheering crowd swarm to greet him. The King has come, mounted upon his mighty steed Dave the Donkey! Join Dave, his Grandpa and Jesus in this epic Easter tale of power, courage, death and ressurection. If you like Black Beauty you will love Dave the Donkey.”

About the book: Dave the Donkey  is part of the very popular Australian series of picture books for children called Lost Sheep. These books typically have clear and bright illustrations and a humorous, yet thought provoking, approach to retelling familiar stories form the Bible. Dave the Donkey  fits what I expected from the series. In this story Dave (obviously the donkey main character) shares his excitement over carrying the ‘king’ into Jerusalem with his Grandpa who has just returned. ‘What happened next?’ Dave wants to know. So Grandpa tells him of the king’s death on the cross, and then of his resurrection.

Aussie storyteller, Andrew McDonough.

What I thought: Although I tend to be a very picky judge of children’s books, especially books that retell stories from Jesus’ life, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Dave the Donkey. The donkey’s enthusiasm about ‘the king’ (obviously Jesus) felt genuine to a level I believe children could find contagious. Likewise his confusion and sadness at the ensuing events were heartfelt and authentic without feeling prescribed. I believe this is what a good retelling of the Easter story needs – a genuineness of emotion – and Andrew McDonough has pulled this off (a feat that is especially impressive with the cartoon style of illustration used.)
The text is kept to a minimal and has a particular strength about it, especially as Jesus himself is never addressed by name but always as ‘the king’. This is a great storytelling tactic that obviously begs child readers to participate and put two and two together, giving them yet another sense of ownership towards the familiar story. (The down side of this tactic is that it could limit the strength of the story to an age old enough to grasp this meaning. My four year old was entirely oblivious to the link between ‘the king’ and ‘Jesus’ the first time we read the book together.)
My personal favorite part of the book was when Dave asks his Grandpa ‘did you ever carry someone special that you will never forget?’ and Grandpa reminisces about a particular starry night he carried someone very special.
Another good part about this book is the notes for parents at the end, these are very helpful without being patronizing.
Lost Sheep also have a great website where you can purchase digital versions of their stories for use in church or school groups. 

Rating:     

Where to buy: Dave the Donkey and other Lost Sheep titles are available from most good booksellers that stock Christian titles. A Google search would likely show the closest stockist to you, or you can visit the Lost Sheep website.

This book was reviewed by Penny Reeve as part of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance. Penny is a children’s writer from Australian and is always on the look-out for great stories for kids that explore faith related concepts.