1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Touching Story That's All About The Human Heart & The Power of Love, January 12, 2008
Paul Gallico (mostly known now for The Snow Goose) was known in his own time greatly because of this little wonder of a book. If you ask me, this book is more about love than faith and determination, although all three of those qualities work side by side throughout this story about a little orphaned boy named Pepino who decides to go to any and all means necessary to save the only friend he has in the world, a donkey named Violetta. He tends to her the way any parent would tend for a child, the way any loving sibling would care for an ailing brother or sister, the way any pure-hearted and uncorrupted child would care for another in difficult times. It is also a story about the realities of the world and how even those who make a profession by acknowledging miracles sometimes have to be lovingly shocked into seeing them. It's really a story about the knowledge that if we say we love someone, then we are compelled by that love to make unselfish and ultimate sacrifices for them no matter what obstacles are in our way. It's also about how undeniably powerful seeing someone truly love someone else can be. Although this book has an undeniable Christian context, the lessons learned from this story transcend mere religion. It's about the human heart. David Knight's illustrations are extremely well done, realistic and fantastic at the same time. This is the best version of this wonderful story.
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