Clopper, the Christmas Donkey

Written by Emily King, Clopper, The Christmas Donkey features an adorable narrator. Clopper tells about his experiences as Mary and Joseph's donkey. He tells of carrying Mary while they followed Joseph on a long journey. When they finally reached Bethlehem, the city was busy and he was tired, but they trusted God would provide a place for them to stay. Finally an innkeeper welcomed them to his stable. The animals slept until a strange sound woke them in the middle of the night -- a baby crying! Later a bunch of shepherds rushed into the stable. They told of angels and how they knew this baby was special ... "the Lord Jesus, the Savior of the world."
Illustrated by Ed Olson, the book contains sweet cartoon characters. Best of all, scrolls are drawn into the illustrations which quote Luke 2:1-20 from the NIV Bible. Ed Olson has over 25 years experience in media production, including work with Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony.
What I Like: I love the parallel nature of the book -- a story at the bottom from Clopper's point of view and the actual Biblical accounts above. It's a wonderful reinforcement that Mary and Joseph were real people who really lived; that if they were real, then Jesus is real, too. And he really is the Savior of the world! The illustrations are cute and colorful.
What I Dislike: Nothing.
Overall Rating: Very Good.
Age Appeal: 4-8
Publisher Info: Kregel Publications, 2003; ISBN: 0825430690; Hardback
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