The Girl and the Donkey's Birthday

Maya has been counting down the days, and at last Biscuit the donkey's birthday has arrived. Biscuit lives at Sunny Meadow Sanctuary, where the kind caretaker Mr. Alden looks after him. Maya comes along the dusty path in her carrot-print t-shirt, eager to give her gentle friend the best birthday ever. As she begins to plan, she realizes a good celebration for Biscuit will not look like the loud parties she knows, since Biscuit is a gentle soul who hides behind the fence when tractors rumble.

With Mr. Alden's help, Maya builds a calm and quiet day around the donkey's real needs. They bake safe treats from carrots, apples, oats and a little molasses, careful to avoid anything that could make Biscuit sick. In his paddock they hang a soft brush on a rope, arrange smooth stones with meadow smells, hide carrot pieces in a tray of sand, and make a puzzle feeder from a clean bottle. All the while, Biscuit watches from behind the fence, his long ears perked with curiosity. This gentle story by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.