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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Two young sisters find a man in the woods near the French home. The war is raging not too far away, and he is a deserter from the English army. He is cold, wet, and hungry; something is wrong with his eyes; and he is trying to make it home to his sickly younger brother before the boy dies. The girls are touched by the young man’s plight. Coco, the younger sister, is also captivated by his talisman—a tiny silver donkey. Thrilled to have such a tremendous secret, the girls smuggle the young man food. In gratitude, he tells them stories, tales of wise, gentle donkeys that also touch on the cruelty of persecution and the tragedy of war. Determined to help the young man get home, the sisters finally enlist the aide of their older brother in Sonya Hartnett’s tender and lyrical story. Set during World War I Hartnett’s narrative is a testament to purity and goodness in many forms, as well as an artful indictment of the terrible waste of war. (Ages 10–13)

CCBC Choices 2007 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2007. Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from November 13, 2006
Hartnett's (Surrender
) latest offering, set in France during the Great War, is at once delicately told and deeply resonant. When two sisters, eight-year-old Coco and 10-year-old Marcelle, discover a blind and hungry soldier in the woods, they befriend him, bringing blankets and bits of food that can be pilfered from their meager pantry. The girls are delighted with their secret soldier, and Coco is particularly enchanted with his good luck charm, a silver donkey. They are reluctant to tell anyone about this unhappy man in the forest until they realize they alone cannot help him return to his home across the channel—his one desire after all he has seen in the war. They enlist the help of their older brother, Pascal, whom they believe is clever enough to hatch a plan. In turn, the soldier tells the children allegorical tales about honesty, loyalty, courage and kindness drawn from the Bible, folklore and his own life—all featuring a donkey. Though Pascal yearns to hear about the "riveting adventures from the war," the soldier's story of a donkey's sacrifice and goodness in battle conveys a wholly different message. The novel's nostalgic tone evokes the period but also delivers a timely message. This tender fable of peace will linger with both younger and older readers. Ages 10-up.

From AudioFile Magazine

In the war-torn French countryside, two young sisters are enthralled when they find a blind soldier who carries with him a tiny silver donkey. Narrator Richard Aspel beautifully captures the time and place of Coco, Marcelle, "their" English soldier, and the kind people they enlist to help the soldier return home. Aspel also movingly retells several charming legends about the humble and kind donkey. Hartnett has created a classic with warm characters who decry war and help each other despite being handicapped in their own ways. Aspel brings these memorable people to life with an impressive scope of emotion and accent. This is an endearing tale suitable for all ages. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine