Daddy Donkey and His Little Son Book Review

 

                                                           Available on Amazon
                                                

Authors: Vedika Agrawal and Kunal Das

Illustrator: Creative Concepts

Publisher: Independently Published

Released: February 9, 2021

Format: Kindle, Paperback

ISBN: 979-8706543822

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating: 4 Lemon Drops

Love is love, no matter what!

Review:

Book Summary:

Louie’s son, Zozo, is a little different from the rest of Louie’s herd. For starters he’s a lion cub, but Louie adopts him anyway, showering the cub with love and protection.

After rescuing the solitary cub, Louie brings Zozo home and soon deals with Zozo’s disruptive behavior and carnivorous diet. As you might expect, the other donkeys aren’t fond of Zozo or his preferred source of food—meat.

Afraid they will end up on Zozo’s personal dinner menu, the other donkeys try to get rid of him, but Louie saves his son, until the cub’s mother returns for him.

Many years later, a much older Louie is rescued from a pack of foxes by a mighty lion. The two recognize each other and father and son have a happy reunion.

Opinion:

Daddy Donkey and His Little Son is an adorable tale that demonstrates how family transcends societal boundaries and unites us. In a child-friendly way, Agrawal and Das, have introduced youngsters to the concepts of compassion and unconditional love.

Diversity is another important topic addressed in the story. Louie looks passed Zozo’s differences and sees only a helpless cub in need of help. As our world becomes more interconnected, children (and adults) must accept and embrace the mixed bag that is humanity.    

I appreciated the activities and the World’s Best Dad certificate at the end of the book. Parents and educators will find the extension activities enjoyable. They’ll also make a great Father’s Day gift.

I give it 4 Lemon Drops!

Classroom Connection:

Targeted Vocabulary: outskirts, different, adamant, herd, mischievous, transformed, amusing, defensive, tactics, revenge, frequent, cautions, mighty

Daddy Donkey and His Little Son is tailor made for a thematic unit on family, interracial families, and adoption. It might be nice to send the book home through a Classroom Lending Library and ask families to take a picture of themselves with the book. These photographs can be displayed on a bulletin board or a quilt style display.  

After a reading, students can complete the “All About My Dad” activity for Father’s Day.

Resources:

Families Theme Pinterest Board

About The Authors:

Dr. Vedika Agrawal is an engineering doctorate from IIT Delhi, India with an inclination towards children's literature.

With a good understanding of kids' way of learning, she has written several children storybooks with an aim to imbibe reading habits and values in children through the magic of books.

She is also a quick learner and a sharp critic. She has a unique ability to give the raw stories, the shape of a masterpiece. Other than writing, she likes playing sports.

Dr. Kunal Das is a pediatric oncologist and stem cell transplant physician by profession. His art of telling children stories inspired the compilation of stories in Doon Tales.

He is a patient listener and an avid writer. He penned down many stories for children and enjoys writing novels in Hindi as well. He can explain any topic in interesting narratives and has the art of engaging children in that subject.

Apart from writing skills, he is a good painter, a good orator, and an excellent professional in his field. He lives in Dehradun, a beautiful green city at the foothills of the Himalayas.