Louie isn’t sure what the tiny bundle is at first. His dad has brought the bundle home from Uncle Pete’s
farm, and mum isn’t happy about it.
The bundle contains a tiny sickly baby donkey, not expected to live through the night. Louie hasn’t had a good run with keeping animals over his ten years, and mum is scared he will be upset again when the donkey dies.
“Don’t say that,’ says Louie, as he vows to look after it. A name for the donkey comes to him from nowhere – Winslow. He spends many days and nights with Winslow’s multiple feeds and the constant attention he needs, but Louie is determined Winslow will live.
About the same time that Winslow joins Louie’s life, he and his best friend Mack meet two sisters new to the area. 13 yr old Mack falls in love with the beautiful Claudine, and prickly 9 yr-old Nora announces that the donkey will die. She knows all about that stuff after all.
Louie’s life is now full of looking after Winslow, hanging out with Nora (despite her dire predictions), and missing his big brother Gus who has joined the army.
As Winslow grows, so do the problems and worries filling Louie’s thoughts. What will happen when their backyard is too small for a donkey? Why does Gus sign off his sparsely worded post cards in a strange way? Will Nora ever trust things to go right again?
A story that everyone can relate to, as we’ve all tried to save a bug, a bird, or maybe even a baby donkey. We’ve all faced loss too, and the boy in this story learns to understand his prickly friend’s attitude to expecting the worst.
Thankfully, a tiny grey donkey goes a little way to healing a young girl’s hurt, and seals a friendship too.
Winner of the prestigious Carnie Medal in 2003, this author has given young readers another beautiful story about the love of animals, friendship and family bonds and connections. Charlotte’s Web fans and any animal lover will love this as much as I did.
Author – Sharon Creech
Age – 8+
Read an excerpt here
If you liked Saving Winslow you might like… (Click on a cover)
(2021, Harper Collins, Animals, Donkey, Grief, Loss, Hope, Love, Family, Siblings, Kindness, Friendship, Missing someone)