What do you think?
Rate this book
Măgăruș-Urechiuș
Măgăruș-Urechiuș este un măgăruș simpatic și prietenos, dar și-ar dori ca urechile sale lungi să arate mai bine, nu ca ale unui... măgar. Ce-i de făcut?
Ar putea cere sfatul prietenilor săi, celelalte animale de la fermă. Cu siguranță, câinele, oaia sau purcelul știu ce trebuie să faci ca să fii mai arătos. Sfaturile lor se vor dovedi, de bună seamă, de mare ajutor. Sau nu?
Roger Duvoisin (1904—1980) a fost un autor și ilustrator american de literatură pentru copii. Născut la Geneva, în Elveția, el s-a stabilit din 1925 în Statele Unite, unde a publicat și prima carte. În deceniile următoare a scris și a ilustrat 40 de cărți proprii și a colaborat ca ilustrator la peste 100 de cărți pentru copii create de alți autori. În 1947 a primit prestigiosul premiu Caldecott Medal pentru ilustrațiile cărții White Snow, Bright Snow, iar în 1966 premiul Caldecott Honor pentru ilustrațiile cărții Hide and Seek.
Ar putea cere sfatul prietenilor săi, celelalte animale de la fermă. Cu siguranță, câinele, oaia sau purcelul știu ce trebuie să faci ca să fii mai arătos. Sfaturile lor se vor dovedi, de bună seamă, de mare ajutor. Sau nu?
Roger Duvoisin (1904—1980) a fost un autor și ilustrator american de literatură pentru copii. Născut la Geneva, în Elveția, el s-a stabilit din 1925 în Statele Unite, unde a publicat și prima carte. În deceniile următoare a scris și a ilustrat 40 de cărți proprii și a colaborat ca ilustrator la peste 100 de cărți pentru copii create de alți autori. În 1947 a primit prestigiosul premiu Caldecott Medal pentru ilustrațiile cărții White Snow, Bright Snow, iar în 1966 premiul Caldecott Honor pentru ilustrațiile cărții Hide and Seek.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1940
5 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Roger Duvoisin
213 books26 followersRoger Antoine Duvoisin (August 28, 1900 – June 1980) was a Swiss-born American writer and illustrator, best known for children's picture books. He won the 1948 Caldecott Medal for picture books and in 1968 he was a highly commended runner-up for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's illustrators.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 27, 2018
5 stars + for the illustrations. 3 stars for the text.
We loved the illustrations, the drawings of animals, plants, farm buildings and people are all drawn with such ease and make you marvel at how a few carefree simple lines create such an accurate drawing. The double page of the doctor examining the donkey are wonderful, every pose, expression and action are so well observed and have a wonderful humour.
The storyline is about being happy just being yourself, I don't know if I would read this to young children, on the one hand the ending does suggest, don't worry we all look different but throughout the book there are parts pointing at big ears and laughing at difference. I would rather the story had been about something other than worrying about your personal appearance.
The illustrations are wonderful though, well worth a look just for them.
We loved the illustrations, the drawings of animals, plants, farm buildings and people are all drawn with such ease and make you marvel at how a few carefree simple lines create such an accurate drawing. The double page of the doctor examining the donkey are wonderful, every pose, expression and action are so well observed and have a wonderful humour.
The storyline is about being happy just being yourself, I don't know if I would read this to young children, on the one hand the ending does suggest, don't worry we all look different but throughout the book there are parts pointing at big ears and laughing at difference. I would rather the story had been about something other than worrying about your personal appearance.
The illustrations are wonderful though, well worth a look just for them.
November 25, 2024
I (both my adult reading self and equally and perhaps even more so my so-called inner child), we both absolutely and totally love love love Roger Duvoisin's artwork for his picture book Donkey-donkey (which was original penned in 1934 with black and white illustrations and then republished in 1940 with colour pictures). For yes, Duvoisin's artwork for Donkey-donkey, it is brightly expressive, full of marvellous visual depth and I (or rather we) visually adore as well as appreciate how all of the featured domestic animals in Donkey-donkey (the main protagonist, the donkey of course, a horse, a dog, a sheep, a goat, a cow and a pig) as well as the farmer, his brother, the doctor and the father/daughter pair who finally encourage Donkey-donkey regarding his ears and his physical appearance are illustratively rendered by Duvoisin with delightfully visually personable and slyly humorous facial features (and that yes, if I were to only be rating Donkey-donkey for the illustrations and solely for this, my rating would definitely be solidly five stars).
However, albeit Roger Duvoisin's pictures for Donkey-donkey are thus and in my humble opinion absolutely and all-round wonderful, are totally aesthetically marvellous and magical, sorry, but what Duvoisin actually writes content-wise in Donkey-donkey, this kind of makes my above mentioned adult reading self feel more than a trifle uncomfortable (but to be totally, to be perfectly honest, not actually, not in fact my inner child who really adores everything about Donkey-donkey and would have hugely treasured Donkey-donkey not just illustratively but also textually when she was young, when she was five, six and seven years of age).
But for me as an adult, well, since many people (including children) tend to have self esteem issues regarding their physical appearances (and are also often teased and ridiculed due to this and like is repeatedly the case for our burro protagonist in Donkey-donkey), it is in my opinion pretty unfortunate that the way Duvoisin textually deals with Donkey-donkey's insecurities regarding his long ears is to for one to make him try many non donkey-like ways of wearing his ears (with painfully ridiculous results) and for two and sadly that the only reason Donkey-donkey in fact ends happily is because the little girl passing by loudly exclaims that Donkey-donkey's ears look pretty and have the perfect length (for a donkey that is). So yes and indeed, while it is of course nicely positive and optimistic that Donkey-donkey ends happily for the main protagonist, in my opinion, Donkey-donkey does not actually learn to love himself and to appreciate the size of his ears by himself and for himself, no, he is shown by Roger Duvoisin as only actually being happy with his physical appearance once someone else, once the little girl likes how Donkey-donkey's ears look and tells him so.
Thus Donkey-donkey is textually speaking a bit of a let-down for older and more critical me, is boosting self esteem by proxy so to speak, by someone else, which kind of presents a bit of a potentially problematic message that (at least in my humble opinion) should perhaps be discussed if or when Donkey-donkey is to be shared with or read to younger children. But indeed, but yes, although for me as an adult, the combination of Duvoisin's text and his images rate three stars and is narrationally speaking a trifle iffy, I will (since for my inner child Donkey-donkey rates with five stars and is both textually and illustratively totally lovely and also absolutely and utterly unproblematic with regard to Roger Duvoisin's story) be rating Donkey-donkey with four stars (and to also be recommending Donkey-Donkey but of course with some reservations regarding the textual messages presented and implied with and by Duvoisin's printed words).
However, albeit Roger Duvoisin's pictures for Donkey-donkey are thus and in my humble opinion absolutely and all-round wonderful, are totally aesthetically marvellous and magical, sorry, but what Duvoisin actually writes content-wise in Donkey-donkey, this kind of makes my above mentioned adult reading self feel more than a trifle uncomfortable (but to be totally, to be perfectly honest, not actually, not in fact my inner child who really adores everything about Donkey-donkey and would have hugely treasured Donkey-donkey not just illustratively but also textually when she was young, when she was five, six and seven years of age).
But for me as an adult, well, since many people (including children) tend to have self esteem issues regarding their physical appearances (and are also often teased and ridiculed due to this and like is repeatedly the case for our burro protagonist in Donkey-donkey), it is in my opinion pretty unfortunate that the way Duvoisin textually deals with Donkey-donkey's insecurities regarding his long ears is to for one to make him try many non donkey-like ways of wearing his ears (with painfully ridiculous results) and for two and sadly that the only reason Donkey-donkey in fact ends happily is because the little girl passing by loudly exclaims that Donkey-donkey's ears look pretty and have the perfect length (for a donkey that is). So yes and indeed, while it is of course nicely positive and optimistic that Donkey-donkey ends happily for the main protagonist, in my opinion, Donkey-donkey does not actually learn to love himself and to appreciate the size of his ears by himself and for himself, no, he is shown by Roger Duvoisin as only actually being happy with his physical appearance once someone else, once the little girl likes how Donkey-donkey's ears look and tells him so.
Thus Donkey-donkey is textually speaking a bit of a let-down for older and more critical me, is boosting self esteem by proxy so to speak, by someone else, which kind of presents a bit of a potentially problematic message that (at least in my humble opinion) should perhaps be discussed if or when Donkey-donkey is to be shared with or read to younger children. But indeed, but yes, although for me as an adult, the combination of Duvoisin's text and his images rate three stars and is narrationally speaking a trifle iffy, I will (since for my inner child Donkey-donkey rates with five stars and is both textually and illustratively totally lovely and also absolutely and utterly unproblematic with regard to Roger Duvoisin's story) be rating Donkey-donkey with four stars (and to also be recommending Donkey-Donkey but of course with some reservations regarding the textual messages presented and implied with and by Duvoisin's printed words).
June 14, 2012
This was another book I found in the box of old books that belonged to my husband (and to his father before him). It instantly became one of my favorite children's books when I read it to my son for the first time, mostly because I think the illustrations of Donkey Donkey are ADORABLE. I want to make copies of the illustrations and hang them around my desk just to make me smile when I work. As for the story, it's the standard "just be yourself," lesson, but there are some clever asides where the author sort of interrupts himself to comment on his own story or illustrations. This is a delightful children's book; I wish I had had it when I was a kid.
September 9, 2018
After Donkey-Donkey spies his reflection in the stream, he's dismayed by his large ears. The other barnyard denizens have plenty of suggestions on different ways he can "style" them, but it takes an unexpected compliment for this ass to learn to love himself.
I love the folksy-look of the author's illustrations.
I love the folksy-look of the author's illustrations.
Read
February 3, 2021Don't even ask ... I just really like donkeys mmmk?
December 16, 2021
A sweet book about a young donkey on a farm who decides that his ears are just not right. He goes on to try the look of other farm friends' ears. After a variety of unexpected results he finally gets some advice from a wise young sparrow.
May 19, 2019
Yes, I can read children's books too. And who doesn't love a kid's book from the good old days with bullying/teasing, blood and scythes, head trauma, and a tidy moral message to be yourself.
July 13, 2023
A story about a donkey insecure about the way he looks. The donkey starts copying others in the hope that he will look better but ends up realizing that he should be proud of looking like a donkey. The story is good, but it lacked the type of humour that I have grown accustomed to associate with Duvoisin's books.
March 6, 2013
4* art
3* story
It irks me that Duvoisin couldn't come up with a better name for his donkey than "Donkey donkey". I get tired of saying donkey twice. (Yeah. Old crankpot here.) Other than that, love it. It's a little old for Squirt, but I couldn't resist, and he didn't go berserk and try to get off my lap until the 2nd to last page. Duvoisin has the most charming illustrating style.
3* story
It irks me that Duvoisin couldn't come up with a better name for his donkey than "Donkey donkey". I get tired of saying donkey twice. (Yeah. Old crankpot here.) Other than that, love it. It's a little old for Squirt, but I couldn't resist, and he didn't go berserk and try to get off my lap until the 2nd to last page. Duvoisin has the most charming illustrating style.
July 16, 2011
This mention on the Vintage Books My Kid Loves blog, brought back great memories. I loved this book.
June 28, 2017
The voice, the style, is a little weird. And the story takes its time getting to a rather simple point. Pretty funny, I guess.
October 27, 2021
Ugh, I'm not a fan of books that resolve everything by having the main character become happy again because of the opinion of someone else. Donkey-donkey doesn't like his ears because they are too big. On the advice of several of his so-called friends (who laugh at him) he wears them up, down, out to the side, and to the front before finally putting them up again. Then, when a little girl says they're pretty, all of a sudden Donkey-donkey is happy again. Not only is the story dated, the message is cringe-worthy. Not recommended.
July 2, 2018
This is a charming children's book, about a little donkey who is unhappy that his ears stick up. He takes advice from many of the other animals on the farm, but things get worse, not better. Then a little bird and a little girl give him the best advice of all.
November 16, 2018
Unfortunate-Unfortunate.
It's not the worst book ever, but it's just not good. There's a donkey, oddly enough named "Donkey-Donkey," despite the fact that almost all the other animals have normal names like a horse named Pat, and a dog named Hector. It describes him as having ears that are "just long enough," although it's unclear whose opinion that is, since Donkey-Donkey is quite unhappy with how long his ears are, especially compared to Pat the horse's ears. He thinks his look "ridiculous," and seeing the two of them together reflected in a stream causes him to become so upset that he refuses to eat anymore. Many people have unhappiness or shame regarding their looks. This is a real problem, and the way this book treats it is quite unfortunate. To try to solve the problem, he goes to the smartest animal he knows, Hector the dog, who is possibly a spaniel of some kind, with drooping ears. Hector tells him he should make his ears hang down like Hector's, and then he will look better.
Donkey-Donkey is happy with this suggestion, until his "very dear friends" all see him and laugh at him because they think he looks funny. That's a horrible thing for his so-called "friends" to do. He's trying something new, in hopes it will make him feel better, and ridicule is just cruel on top of that. The lamb, "Fuzzy-Fuzzy," points out that a lot of animals, like her, goats, and cows, have ears that point straight out, so he would look better that way. He tries it out, and they find a mirror and he likes the look. He is "Happy although somewhat doubtful, as you can see by his expression." Although you really can't, because the quality of the art in this book is rather lacking. And when he tries to walk into the stable, there is a nearby scythe that cuts his stuck-out ear until it bleeds. And he cries all night long, and his "friends" are upset because they can't sleep.
The next day, he asks for advice from the most "honest" animal, the sow, who suggests that his ears should face directly forward, and keep the rain off of his face. But he can't see anything above him, and somehow that causes him to run into a ladder (despite the fact that the ladder should also be touching the ground beside or in front of him) and cause his master, the farmer, to fall on the ground. Both of them get sick from their injuries, somehow.
A sparrow (named Daniel) tells him that he should keep his ears straight up like they were at the beginning, since he is a donkey, and not a different kind of animal. He tries this, and immediately a passing little girl remarks to her father how beautiful Donkey-Donkey's ears are. Basically, he needs external validation to be happy. That's not a valid long-term solution to this problem. The next time anyone tells him his ears look funny, he's going to be back on this downward spiral again. The sparrow's advice is no more valid than anyone else's; it only has to do with what individual animals prefer. Obviously, all the other animals were telling Donkey-Donkey to copy them, and just blindly copying others' personal preferences doesn't work either, but none of this actually addresses the size of his ears, which was his original complaint in the first place.
The worst part of the book is when he tries the first position, with his ears down, and all of his "friends" laugh at him. I could understand curiosity about why he's changed the position of his ears, but real friends empathize with you instead of mocking your choices.
I suppose part of the story is that they're farm animals, and not very bright. There's nothing inherently wrong with holding your ears in any direction, and the only reason Donkey-Donkey has trouble with some of the positions and the other animals don't is that the other animals have held them that way for a long time and are used to it. Donkey-Donkey gives up rather easily on all the other positions, instead of trying them out for long enough to become accustomed to them. He wouldn't have kept cutting his ear on the scythe every time he went in the stable; eventually he would learn to avoid it.
When people are unhappy with their bodies, they are likely to discount others' compliments instead of accepting them. They belittle themselves and assume that the other person is incorrect or just trying to make them feel better. This isn't a realistic treatment of this issue at all. I'm not sure it is meant to be one, but it ends up trivializing something that is a real problem for a lot of people and that's not okay. You have to be the one to be happy with yourself the way you are. It doesn't work to rely on others' validation.
This book would be much better (although still probably not an amazing book) if Donkey-Donkey found his own inner strength at the end in accepting his ears the way they were at the beginning. Maybe even found some benefit to holding them that way, or their length, instead of just finding problems with every other way and defaulting to the original because 'that's what donkeys do.' Or maybe he could have found some crazy way of holding his ears that nobody else did, and become a local attraction. I don't know.
I think the point they were going for in this book is "be happy with yourself the way you are." Although it would be ideal if everyone were, the truth is that many people are not, and telling someone to be happy is horrible advice. It is condescending and implies that you know better than them how they should be acting. It's not okay to dictate how someone else feels. And it works about as well as telling someone, "You should be surprised right now!"
I also can't help wondering whether donkeys are actually physically capable of holding their ears in these different positions.
Message: Rely on others to validate your self-worth.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's not the worst book ever, but it's just not good. There's a donkey, oddly enough named "Donkey-Donkey," despite the fact that almost all the other animals have normal names like a horse named Pat, and a dog named Hector. It describes him as having ears that are "just long enough," although it's unclear whose opinion that is, since Donkey-Donkey is quite unhappy with how long his ears are, especially compared to Pat the horse's ears. He thinks his look "ridiculous," and seeing the two of them together reflected in a stream causes him to become so upset that he refuses to eat anymore. Many people have unhappiness or shame regarding their looks. This is a real problem, and the way this book treats it is quite unfortunate. To try to solve the problem, he goes to the smartest animal he knows, Hector the dog, who is possibly a spaniel of some kind, with drooping ears. Hector tells him he should make his ears hang down like Hector's, and then he will look better.
Donkey-Donkey is happy with this suggestion, until his "very dear friends" all see him and laugh at him because they think he looks funny. That's a horrible thing for his so-called "friends" to do. He's trying something new, in hopes it will make him feel better, and ridicule is just cruel on top of that. The lamb, "Fuzzy-Fuzzy," points out that a lot of animals, like her, goats, and cows, have ears that point straight out, so he would look better that way. He tries it out, and they find a mirror and he likes the look. He is "Happy although somewhat doubtful, as you can see by his expression." Although you really can't, because the quality of the art in this book is rather lacking. And when he tries to walk into the stable, there is a nearby scythe that cuts his stuck-out ear until it bleeds. And he cries all night long, and his "friends" are upset because they can't sleep.
The next day, he asks for advice from the most "honest" animal, the sow, who suggests that his ears should face directly forward, and keep the rain off of his face. But he can't see anything above him, and somehow that causes him to run into a ladder (despite the fact that the ladder should also be touching the ground beside or in front of him) and cause his master, the farmer, to fall on the ground. Both of them get sick from their injuries, somehow.
A sparrow (named Daniel) tells him that he should keep his ears straight up like they were at the beginning, since he is a donkey, and not a different kind of animal. He tries this, and immediately a passing little girl remarks to her father how beautiful Donkey-Donkey's ears are. Basically, he needs external validation to be happy. That's not a valid long-term solution to this problem. The next time anyone tells him his ears look funny, he's going to be back on this downward spiral again. The sparrow's advice is no more valid than anyone else's; it only has to do with what individual animals prefer. Obviously, all the other animals were telling Donkey-Donkey to copy them, and just blindly copying others' personal preferences doesn't work either, but none of this actually addresses the size of his ears, which was his original complaint in the first place.
The worst part of the book is when he tries the first position, with his ears down, and all of his "friends" laugh at him. I could understand curiosity about why he's changed the position of his ears, but real friends empathize with you instead of mocking your choices.
I suppose part of the story is that they're farm animals, and not very bright. There's nothing inherently wrong with holding your ears in any direction, and the only reason Donkey-Donkey has trouble with some of the positions and the other animals don't is that the other animals have held them that way for a long time and are used to it. Donkey-Donkey gives up rather easily on all the other positions, instead of trying them out for long enough to become accustomed to them. He wouldn't have kept cutting his ear on the scythe every time he went in the stable; eventually he would learn to avoid it.
When people are unhappy with their bodies, they are likely to discount others' compliments instead of accepting them. They belittle themselves and assume that the other person is incorrect or just trying to make them feel better. This isn't a realistic treatment of this issue at all. I'm not sure it is meant to be one, but it ends up trivializing something that is a real problem for a lot of people and that's not okay. You have to be the one to be happy with yourself the way you are. It doesn't work to rely on others' validation.
This book would be much better (although still probably not an amazing book) if Donkey-Donkey found his own inner strength at the end in accepting his ears the way they were at the beginning. Maybe even found some benefit to holding them that way, or their length, instead of just finding problems with every other way and defaulting to the original because 'that's what donkeys do.' Or maybe he could have found some crazy way of holding his ears that nobody else did, and become a local attraction. I don't know.
I think the point they were going for in this book is "be happy with yourself the way you are." Although it would be ideal if everyone were, the truth is that many people are not, and telling someone to be happy is horrible advice. It is condescending and implies that you know better than them how they should be acting. It's not okay to dictate how someone else feels. And it works about as well as telling someone, "You should be surprised right now!"
I also can't help wondering whether donkeys are actually physically capable of holding their ears in these different positions.
Message: Rely on others to validate your self-worth.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
April 6, 2015
A donkey (named donkey donkey uggghhh) becomes self conscious about his ears and can't decide how to wear them. Various animals around the barnyard advise him as to how to wear them.
This is probably the worst children's book that I took off my list of books to read yet. I actually didn't care for the illustrations. I was so annoyed that the donkeys name was donkey donkey. I said the word donkey so many times that it didn't sound like a word anymore.
There is a part of the book that the donkey cuts his ear on a scythe hanging beside a door. I don't think I keep my kids super sheltered or anything, but it caught me by surprise and I had no appreciation for actually illustrating the blood dripping. Weird/gross.
This is probably the worst children's book that I took off my list of books to read yet. I actually didn't care for the illustrations. I was so annoyed that the donkeys name was donkey donkey. I said the word donkey so many times that it didn't sound like a word anymore.
There is a part of the book that the donkey cuts his ear on a scythe hanging beside a door. I don't think I keep my kids super sheltered or anything, but it caught me by surprise and I had no appreciation for actually illustrating the blood dripping. Weird/gross.
January 3, 2012
The theme, be content with who you are, is a lesson that Donkey-Donkey has to learn the hard way. This story is 61 years old, and yet seems as fresh as if written yesterday--the sign of a true classic. Love the pictures, love the story--highly recommended!
June 17, 2015
My favorite book when I was a child. I made my Mother read it over and over. Our copy was eventually lost. My Mother found and bought me a copy of the book when I finished graduate school with a degree in library and information science. Now I read it to my children.
Read
July 12, 2013The tone of this book is hilarious, at least when read today.
June 18, 2013
My Grandma used to read this book to me every time we'd visit her home, and it is very special to me still. I think that the harm warming pictures and the positive message are great for kids.
December 28, 2013
What an amazing book to love. Donkey-donkey just makes me laugh. At certain times, I wanted to say poor little donkey. I usually don't like old books as much as I like new but I was wrong about this!
July 22, 2016
Entertaining story about a donkey who tries to change his ears to be more like others only to discover that he is fine just as he is! Great message about being yourself. Loved it.
September 23, 2020
This book just feels old...which it is. But while I really loved the Friendly Lion by this author, this one was only ok. Donkey Donkey keeps trying to wear his ears like everyone else but in the end realizes he should just embrace being a donkey. Nothing really special on this concept, but entertaining enough of a read. Has that quality of older books where a few pieces stand out as kind of intense for kids, but you realize it's just because we are so overprotective now - there is a scene where the donkey pierces his ear painfully that was a bit more raw than it would be in a modern story, and one where he cries all night right after, that is illustrated in black and kind of spooky, but also of note because the narrator makes the point that all his friends found his crying annoying.
My three year old enjoyed it, and loved having a story about a donkey (as one of her favourite stuffed toys is a donkey) but I don't know that it will leave an impression.
My three year old enjoyed it, and loved having a story about a donkey (as one of her favourite stuffed toys is a donkey) but I don't know that it will leave an impression.
September 30, 2022
I enjoyed the emphasis on self-acceptance through sharing a rural animal perspective that many kids may not have considered: how ears are shaped and placed on the head of different species. It was only when it veered into making fun of a human's ears that the message was no longer useful. Why couldn't everyone just accept the farmer's brothers big ears too?
The illustrations are so wonderful though. Read it a second time just to take in the loveliness of the pictures. I especially loved the illustration of thistles. So simple and so accurate and so joyful.
The illustrations are so wonderful though. Read it a second time just to take in the loveliness of the pictures. I especially loved the illustration of thistles. So simple and so accurate and so joyful.
April 28, 2023
This was a very revealing story about a donkey who thinks he's ugly because his ears stick straight up. So he goes to other farm animals to get their opinion. They all tell him what he should do to change his appearance and the donkey does so. But with so many different views of what is beautiful and what isn't on his mind, how does one decide? I really enjoyed the message here that it's better to accept you and what you bring and your self-beauty than to base it on everybody else's opinions. My rating - 4/5
October 21, 2023
Published some 90 years ago, this picture book reveals that vanity is not just a post-post-postmodern invention.
Donkey-donkey has made himself a slave to the opinons of other animals... about his ears. Fortunately, before the close of this book, a human girl gives approval to his ears. Oh, happy day!
The sappy-sweet ending suggests that the author is a fan of living this way.
On behalf of the intended readers, okaaaay, I'll give this picture book FIVE STARS. Because it takes all kinds to make a world of goodreaders.
Donkey-donkey has made himself a slave to the opinons of other animals... about his ears. Fortunately, before the close of this book, a human girl gives approval to his ears. Oh, happy day!
The sappy-sweet ending suggests that the author is a fan of living this way.
On behalf of the intended readers, okaaaay, I'll give this picture book FIVE STARS. Because it takes all kinds to make a world of goodreaders.
February 22, 2024
Art to die for. Plus the names (Fuzzy-fuzzy the lamb). Plus the page where the Hector the dog shows how ridiculous it would be if his ears stood up. Plus -- omg really -- the exquisite squiggly lines all over Hector's ears, atop the smudgy pinky gray beneath. This is where iPad illustrations go to weep in awe.
The story is somehow a couple turns too long. But maybe when this was written we were more patient than we are now.
The story is somehow a couple turns too long. But maybe when this was written we were more patient than we are now.
August 1, 2018
A donkey who is self conscious about being a donkey learns to accept who he is with pride. A much better version of the Ugly Duckling IMO. I've always been charmed by this and I like the 'weird' illustrations. I still have my original copy.
October 16, 2019
My brother and I had this book when we were little, and I lost my copy. Found one today in a used book store and the artwork was just as lovely as I remembered. The message is a '70s Verizon of "You do you." :)
December 25, 2019
A simple story, told beautifully. The joy is in the details and the milieu of the farmyard itself. A beautiful eye for small details too which is usually what raises classic picture books from fine to wonderful
September 11, 2022
I really loved this book when I was a kid. When I saw it again as an adult, I got so excited. I particularly remembered the page where the donkey gets his ear caught on a nail. Perhaps I enjoyed grim stories even then. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews