Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Little Donkey and the Birthday Present by Rindert Kromhout


Giving and getting in a surreal landscape.

Little Donkey is going to Jackie's birthday party! He picks out a wonderful red kite for a present....a really wonderful red kite....a perfect red kite....maybe Jackie would like something else? But Little Donkey's mother is firm and in the end both he and Jackie enjoy playing with the wonderful kite....and it will be Little Donkey's birthday soon!

I enjoyed the realism in the story - Little Donkey continues to long for the red kite even after he has given it and played with it together with Jackie. Happily, his mother doesn't immediately produce a kite for Little Donkey.

I'm a little puzzled by the pictures - They seem vaguely surreal, set in a desert-like landscape. I can't figure out if Little Donkey and his mother are wearing some sort of native dress or snazzy pajamas - either way they look comfortable!

Verdict: Interesting, but not outstanding.


ISBN: 978-0735821323; Published March 2007 by North-South; Borrowed from the library

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