The Donkeys Gone

A Rumi story turned into a fun, illustrated allegory for kids. The 13th century Sufi mystic, Islamic scholar, Persian poet and storyteller Rumi remains a towering cultural force, and possibly the most widely read poet in the world--especially on the subject of love. Here a simple tale about a donkey keeper staying at an inn becomes a parable for life lessons of joy and sorrow that will be universally understood by children in this adaptation by the Rumi scholar Omid Arabian, illustrated with great humor and authenticity by the Iranian-born artist Shilla Shakoori. The Donkey's Gone is based on a story from The Masnavi, which is an epic compilation of Rumi's wisdom in the form of poems and short stories. Adapted for children, it retains Rumi's wit and insight while also relating a cautionary tale about what we stand to lose when we imitate others and conform.

Kids will love this cumulative and hysterical read-aloud that features a free downloadable song "I was walking down the road and I saw... a donkey, Hee Haw And he only had three legs He was a wonky donkey." Children will be in fits of laughter with this perfect read-aloud tale of an endearing donkey. By the book's final page, readers end up with a spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey Download the free song at www.scholastic.com/wonkydonkey.

The heartwarming tale of an irrepressible donkey who needed a home—and forever changed a family. Rachel Anne Ridge was at the end of her rope. The economy had crashed, taking her formerly thriving business along with it. She had been a successful artist, doing work she loved, but now she felt like a failure. How would her family pay their bills? What would the future hold? If only God would somehow let them know that everything was going to be all right . . . and then Flash the donkey showed up. If there is ever a good time to discover a wounded, frightened, bedraggled donkey standing in your driveway, this wasn’t it. The local sheriff dismissed Flash as “worthless.” But Rachel didn’t believe that, and she couldn’t turn him away. She brought Flash into her struggling family during their darkest hour—and he turned out to be the very thing they needed most. Flash is the true story of their adventures together in learning to love and trust; breaking down whatever fences stood in their way; and finding the strength, confidence, and faith to carry on. Prepare to fall in love with Flash: a quirky, unlikely hero with gigantic ears, a deafening bray, a personality as big as Texas, and a story you’ll never forget.

From the bestselling author of Born to Run, a heartwarming story about training a rescue donkey to run one of the most challenging races in America, and, in the process, discovering the life-changing power of the human-animal connection. "A delight, full of heart and hijinks and humor." —John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog When Christopher McDougall decided to adopt a donkey in dire straits, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. But with the help of his neighbors, Chris came up with a crazy idea. Burro racing, a unique type of competition in which humans and donkeys run side by side over mountains and through streams, would be exactly the challenge Sherman and Chris needed. In the course of Sherman’s training, Chris would enlist Amish running clubs, high-spirited goats, the service animal community, and two Sarah Palin–loving long-distance female truckers. Sherman’s heartwarming story of overcoming all odds to run one of the most unbelievable races in America shows the healing power of movement and the strength of the human-animal connection. Look for Christopher McDougall's new book, Born to Run 2, coming in December!

An up-close look at the democratic race for the White House—it isn't pretty Spanking the Donkey is a campaign diary like no other. Celebrated reporter Matt Taibbi turns a withering eye on the kissing contest of puffed-up martinets and egomaniacal fantasists more generally known as the 2004 Democratic primaries. Taibbi's contempt for the whole charade, and for most of those involved (including a generous helping of his fellow journalists), makes for a searing and highly entertaining account. His refusal to take the proceedings seriously leads him to volunteer for Wesley Clark's New Hampshire campaign in the guise of an adult-film director, while his take on a John Edwards press conference in New York City is filtered through the haze of hallucinogenic drugs. Taking up residence in slums and halfway houses as he follows the circus around the country, Taibbi juxtaposes an idiotic dog-and-pony show in which clashes of plainly identical candidates are presented as real controversies, with the quite separate concerns of the ordinary Americans whose lodgings he shares. The gap between the antiseptic exercise in faint patriotic optimism that is mainstream politics and the harsh realities of life for the millions of Americans that the electoral parade simply passes by has never been more sharply, or hilariously, sketched.

Kevin O'Hara's journey of self-discovery begins as a mad lark: who in their right mind would try to circle the entire coastline of Ireland on foot—and with a donkey and cart no less? But Kevin had promised his homesick Irish mother that he would explore the whole of the Old Country and bring back the sights and the stories to their home in Massachusetts. Determined to reach his grandmother's village by Christmas Eve, Kevin and his stubborn but endearing donkey, Missie, set off on 1800-mile trek along the entire jagged coast of a divided Ireland. Their rollicking adventure takes them over mountains and dales, through smoky cities and sleepy villages, and into the farmhouses and hearts of Ireland's greatest resource—its people. Along the way, Kevin would meet incredible characters, experience Ireland in all of its glory, and explore not only his Irish past, but find his future self. “One of the finest books about contemporary Ireland ever written...In a style evocative of Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, O'Hara writes memorably of his most unusual way of touring his ancestral home of Ireland.” —Library Journal At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

One day a huntsman was wandering around in the woods. He stumbled upon an old lady and his good, kind heart could let the woman go without him helping her. What she gave him in return was more than one could imagine. She showed him the way to a magical tree where nine birds were fighting for a cloak. It was not an ordinary cloak, nor the birds were as all the others. If the huntsman shot among them, he would get the wishing cloak and after swallowing the heart of one of the birds, a coin would magically appear on his pillow every morning. He followed the wise woman’s words and it all happened indeed. But fate met him with an evil witch and her daughter. Will he manage to keep the bird’s heart and the cloak or the evil will prevail? Children and adults alike, immerse yourselves into Grimm’s world of folktales and legends! Come, discover the little-known tales and treasured classics in this collection of 210 fairy tales. Brothers Grimm are probably the best-known storytellers in the world. Some of their most popular fairy tales are "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Little Red Riding Hood" and there is hardly anybody who has not grown up with the adventures of Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and Snow White. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s exceptional literature legacy consists of recorded German and European folktales and legends. Their collections have been translated into all European languages in their lifetime and into every living language today.

Did you know that the Bourbonnais donkey drinks 4 gallons of water a day? In this pocket-sized guide, you’ll discover loads of interesting facts about 34 popular breeds of donkeys and mules, including their appearance, history, breeding, and uses in agriculture and tourism. From the critically endangered Abyssinian, to the speedy Onager who can run at 40mph over a 15-mile stretch, this fascinating and fun guide will turn both young and old into a donkey and mule enthusiast.

A magazine of tales, travels, essays, and poems.

From the internationally bestselling creators of The Wonky Donkey comes a special surprise! Dinky woke one weekend with wonder in her eyes. Today her daddy, Wonky, promised such a big surprise... Another sequel to the viral sensation, The Wonky Donkey, is here! Join the world's #1 bestselling family of laughable and lovable donkeys in a wild, wonky, and wonderful guessing game. Brought to life by Craig Smith's signature playful verses and Katz Cowley's charming illustrations, Wonky Donkey's Big Surprise is laugh-out-loud fun.