Leila's Book Blog

Donkey’s Kite is the second book in the Horse Valley Adventure and just as cute as The Three Horses and the Big Bully Donkey.

Lax, Max, and Jack haven’t changed much since the first story which is a little unfortunate, but changes do not happen overnight.

Donkey, however, has really changed and is now best friends with the three brothers.

I felt Donkey had a bit of a self esteem issue thinking his kite wasn’t good enough and that he isn’t good at things. Unfortunately, he also got a taste of his own medicine when some geese starting bullying him.

What I really liked it that Gutsy reminds me of the Ugly Duckling. She has been bullied before and knows what it feels like so she defends Donkey and helps him.

In the end, the three horses, Donkey, and Gutsy all become friends and build a kite together so that no one is left out and that they all have a kite that is fabulous rather than each bragging about their own kite and making others feel bad.

Again, I think this is a great book that children can take away a lesson from.

I would say this is around the 3rd grade reading level, but would definitely recommend to parents and teachers to read to their kids. The kids will love the illustrations and the lessons are valuable!

The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey was a cute read that children of all ages will enjoy and love!

The book is clearly based on the Three Little Pigs story with horses and a donkey rather than pigs and a big bad wolf.

I feel that The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey is less ‘scary’ as there is no big bad wolf, just a not so nice donkey. Additionally, the ending in The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey is more positive.

I felt that the story itself lent a few good lessons that enable us to teach our children important lessons.

1. The horses run into their house that is on fire to grab their belongings.

This brings up a teachable moment of teaching children fire safety and how we don’t go back into a fire. We can replace our material things, but we can’t replaced our children.

2. That a little hard work is a positive.

Just as the pigs, the first two horses are lazy and take the easy way out building a house of bushes with thorns and a house of pointy sticks. Not only do they get destroyed, the horses get hurt in the process because they didn’t take the time to do it right the first time.

The ending took on a wonderful spin of the donkey moving in with the horses and all of them being friends living under one roof.

The illustrations were beautifully done and the story was fun to read.

I would say that this is a book that maybe third grade and up could read on their own – there are some big words, but it is a book that anyone could read to a child of any age and they would certainly enjoy it!