Mikis and the Donkey - Hardcover

Dumon Tak, Bibi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802854303 ISBN 13: 9780802854308

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014

Synopsis

Another moving animal tale from the award-winning author of Soldier Bear

One day, Mikis’s grandfather has a surprise for him: a new donkey waiting! Mikis falls in love with the creature, but his grandparents tell him that the donkey is a working animal, not a pet. However, they still let Mikis choose her name -- Tsaki -- and allow the two of them to spend their Sundays together. Mikis and Tsaki soon become fast friends, and together the two have some grand adventures. Eventually, both Mikis and his grandfather learn a bit more about what exactly it means to care for another creature.

Brought to life by drawings from Philip Hopman, Bibi Dumon Tak’s gentle, humorous story is perfect for any readers who may have their own soft spot for animals.

About this title

About the Authors

 

Bibi Dumon Tak is the author of Soldier Bear and Mikis and the Donkey (both Eerdmans), both of which won the Mildred L. Batchelder Award. In 2018 Bibi received the Theo Thijssen Prize, the highest honor for children's authors in the Netherlands. She has previously collaborated with Annemarie van Haeringen on Scout's Heaven (Eerdmans).

 

Philip Hopman studied at the Rietveld Academy and has illustrated more than 250 books, including A Dog Like Sam, Mikis and the Donkey, and Soldier Bear (all Eerdmans). He lives in the Netherlands.

Reviews

Gr 3–5—Mikis is a boy who lives a quiet existence in a small town on a Greek isle with his family. His grandfather meets him after school and tells him there is a surprise waiting for him at home; the surprise is a donkey that Mikis is allowed to name. After much consultation with the donkey, it is decided by Mikis that Tsaki is the perfect name for her. Mikis's friends and family are greatly amused by the friendship that the boy and animal develop; a friendship that takes them on adventures around the isle—to the doctor, to a pasture to make friends with another donkey, building a new stable, and one big surprise at the end. This a sweet story about a loving child and his donkey. There is no high adventure, fast-paced drama, or laugh-out-loud comedy, but readers who enjoy a gentle tale will appreciate the beauty of this quiet story. Included throughout are black-and-white pencil sketches of the duo's adventures.—Lisa Nabel, Dayton Metro Library, OH

Edition details

• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802854303
• ISBN 13: 9780802854308
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hopman Philip
• Number of pages: 89