shopping cart
Call us:  800-878-7323 HELP
McAfee SECURE helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams.
Powell's Q&A, Q&A | June 24, 2009

Colum McCann: IMG Powell's Q&A: Colum McCann



"'Why do writers write? Because it isn't there.'" Continue »
  1. $17.50 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

Ships free on qualified orders.
$15.99
HARDCOVER, NEW
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Available for In-store Pickup
in 7 to 12 days
Qty Store Section
5 Remote Warehouse Children's- Historical Fiction- Military and War
2 Remote Warehouse Children's- General


The Silver Donkey

by Sonya Hartnett and Don Powers

The Silver Donkey Cover

Staff Pick

In this poignant and captivating story, two sisters find a wounded soldier in the woods. They take care of him, and in return, he tells them four beautiful tales about a humble donkey. This is a moving story of war and peace, devotion and compassion—the perfect story for adults and children to read together.
Recommended by Richard C., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

From extraordinary novelist Sonya Hartnett comes a gently told fable of a lost soldier, heroic children, and a steadfast donkey.

One morning in the woods of World War I France, two young sisters stumble upon an astonishing find — a soldier, temporarily blinded by war, who has walked away from battle longing to see his gravely ill younger brother. Soon the care of the soldier becomes the girls' preoccupation, but it's not just the secret they share that emboldens them to steal food and other comforting items for the man. They are fascinated by what he holds in his hand — a tiny silver donkey. As the girls and their brother devise a plan for the soldier's safe passage home, he repays them by telling four wondrous tales about the humble donkey — from the legend of Bethlehem to a myth of India, from a story of rescue in war to a tale of family close to the soldier's heart. Sonya Hartnett explores rich new territory in this inspiring tale of kindness, loyalty, and courage.

Review:

"Hartnett's (Surrender) latest offering, set in France during the Great War, is at once delicately told and deeply resonant. When two sisters, eight-year-old Coco and 10-year-old Marcelle, discover a blind and hungry soldier in the woods, they befriend him, bringing blankets and bits of food that can be pilfered from their meager pantry. The girls are delighted with their secret soldier, and Coco is particularly enchanted with his good luck charm, a silver donkey. They are reluctant to tell anyone about this unhappy man in the forest until they realize they alone cannot help him return to his home across the channel — his one desire after all he has seen in the war. They enlist the help of their older brother, Pascal, whom they believe is clever enough to hatch a plan. In turn, the soldier tells the children allegorical tales about honesty, loyalty, courage and kindness drawn from the Bible, folklore and his own life — all featuring a donkey. Though Pascal yearns to hear about the 'riveting adventures from the war,' the soldier's story of a donkey's sacrifice and goodness in battle conveys a wholly different message. The novel's nostalgic tone evokes the period but also delivers a timely message. This tender fable of peace will linger with both younger and older readers. Ages 10-up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

This gently told fable of a lost soldier, heroic children, and a steadfast donkey explores rich territory in a tale of kindness, loyalty, and courage.

Product Details

ISBN:
9780763629373
Author:
Sonya Hartnett and Don Powers
Publisher:
Candlewick Press (MA)
Illustrator:
Powers, Don
Author:
Hartnett, Sonya
Subject:
General
Subject:
Conduct of life
Subject:
World War, 1914-1918
Subject:
Fairy Tales & Folklore - General
Subject:
Storytelling
Edition Description:
Us
Publication Date:
September 2006
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
266
Dimensions:
7.30x6.30x.98 in. 1.00 lbs.
Age Level:
10-13

Other books you might like

  1. $7.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    The Green Glass Sea

    Ellen Klages
  2. $10.50 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Anahita's Woven Riddle

    Meghan Nuttall Sayres
  3. $4.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list
  4. $6.99 New Trade Paper add to wish list

    Framed

    Frank Boyce Cottrell
  5. $9.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list
  6. $6.98 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

Related Aisles

  • back to top

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.