Little Donkey and the Birthday Present

Little Donkey gets the perfect birthday gift for his friend Jackie, but the gift is so perfect that Little Donkey wants to keep it for himself and tries every trick in the book to convince his mother that he cannot go to Jackie's party so he doesn't have to give up the present.

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Little Donkey and his mother go out to buy Jackie a birthday present. The youngster chooses a beautiful kite with a very long tail and by the time they reach home, he can't part with it. He tries everything to keep it—he hides it in his bed, he fakes an illness—but Mama insists that he go to the party and give his friend the gift. The black-line and color illustrations are simple and spirited; they flow well with the text, making it easy for children to follow along. This sweet story about friendship and the rewards of generosity would be great for a character-education unit.—Kristen M. Todd, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
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Little Donkey is so delighted with the kite he buys as a birthday present for his friend that he cannot bear to part with it. He tries replacing it, hiding it, and not going to the birthday party; but Mama Donkey is firm, and he has to give the kite to the birthday boy, Jackie Yak. Then the two friends have fun flying the kite together, but how will Little Donkey leave it behind? Fortunately, his birthday is coming up very soon. The ink, watercolor, and paper-collage artwork shows the warm scenes of the animals, in human dress, whose intense mixed feelings preschoolers will recognize. Translated from the Dutch, the gentle story captures the universal scenario of rivalry and envy that can sometimes make parties difficult. Hazel Rochman
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