[3MO]∎ PDF The Silver Donkey A Novel for Children 9780670042401 Books

The Silver Donkey A Novel for Children 9780670042401 Books

Download As PDF : The Silver Donkey A Novel for Children 9780670042401 Books

The Silver Donkey A Novel for Children 9780670042401 Books

A few of us inaugurated a book club for 3rd grade girls with this story and it was a great start for us.

This story is beautifully written and has many layers, it was great for the adults and interesting enough for the girls, despite the backdrop of a war and subject matter that is difficult for young people to relate to: should you stay and fight in a war that has depleted you and made you question why you are there and hurt your psyche badly or go home to your family?

There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of our discussion. Who did the donkey represent? Did Lieutenant get home? Was John real or made up? What significance was the beetle in the end?

Even though we didn't have clear answers, the girls were satisfied with the questions and were inspired to keep reading. All in all, a very good story to read with and explain to a child under 12. 13 and older can probably understand the subject matter and get more depth from it without a parent's input.


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The Silver Donkey A Novel for Children 9780670042401 Books Reviews

Browsing the used book section at the local thrift store, I found this book and thought it sounded cute. I was even more intrigued by the review by Jimmy Carter on the top of it that called The Silver Donkey, "A testament to bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice-a gentle but unflinching look at the horrors of war and the power of innocence."

The Silver Donkey starts off with two young sisters named Coco and Marcelle who discover a soldier in the woods. They befriend him and discover that he is blind and has left the war behind in an attempt to return home and get back to his ailing brother. With him he carries a silver donkey and four tales which he then tells the children, each one about bravery. Through the use of flashbacks we learn that the soldier, Lieutenant Shepard, is dealing with PTSD of sorts, is afraid of loud noises, and remembers the men he commanded being killed in battle. The siblings eventually tell their brother about their secret and he in turn is able to devise a plot to help Lieutenant Shepard get back to his homeland over the Channel. The last chapter is lovely and the surprise that the soldier leaves for Coco after he has left is very sweet.

Going into this, I wasn't expecting much considering it is a children's book. However, I am delighted to say that this will appeal to anyone regardless of age. The message at the heart of it is touching and it is written in a simple yet charming way. I really wish The Silver Donkey had been around when I was a kid because this is definitely something I could picture myself reading over and over again. I was a bit confused though as to the last paragraph in the book when it says that across the shore there were children playing in the sand. I'm wasn't sure if the author was implying that the Lieutenant made it home to his brother or if it was just a pair of random kids. However, that wasn't a big problem and I'm sure Sonya Hartnett just left it open ended for simplicity's sake. One thing's for sure, if you read this you'll never look at donkeys the same way again.

*5/5 stars*
The book arrived quickly and in good condition. However, there was no dust jacket and that minor fact was omitted in the description of the book...
The ending of this beautifully written and illustrated story left me grieved and disappointed. The very virtues of goodness, strength, bravery, and trustworthiness that the donkey embodied were negated in the the soldier by his desertion. I had expected that as his vision cleared so would his sight of what his duty was. Think of how disillusioned his ill brother John would be to find what his brother had done in order to come home to him! I appreciated the depiction of the hellishness and wastefulness that war often is. I wanted the soldier's internal struggle not to be similar. I wanted to have had him win over his fear and horror to go back and face his cowardliness, do what he needed to, and then come home a trustworthy and brave brother. I wanted the French children to respect and honor him all their lives, especially when they were mature enough to understand his whole story. I feel sad that in the end the little silver donkey was left badly tarnished.
It was a beautiful story.
I bought this book for my granddaughter a couple of years ago and she said it was the best book she had read. Unfortunately, she handed out to a friend and never got it back, so I ordered her another one because she always talks about how great this book was.
THE DONKEY IS JOKED ABOUT AND A TRUE BEAST OF BURDEN IN OUR HISTORY AND PAST
THIS TELLS SOF THE BEAUTY OF THESE BEASTS
A few of us inaugurated a book club for 3rd grade girls with this story and it was a great start for us.

This story is beautifully written and has many layers, it was great for the adults and interesting enough for the girls, despite the backdrop of a war and subject matter that is difficult for young people to relate to should you stay and fight in a war that has depleted you and made you question why you are there and hurt your psyche badly or go home to your family?

There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of our discussion. Who did the donkey represent? Did Lieutenant get home? Was John real or made up? What significance was the beetle in the end?

Even though we didn't have clear answers, the girls were satisfied with the questions and were inspired to keep reading. All in all, a very good story to read with and explain to a child under 12. 13 and older can probably understand the subject matter and get more depth from it without a parent's input.