There are some famous donkeys in biblical history. Though unnamed, we hear about Balaam's donkey, the one that carried Mary on her way to Bethlehem, and the one that carried Jesus into Jerusalem during Passover week. This is a story of that donkey, but it doesn't end with the first Palm Sunday...
"Davey" is a young donkey, unhappy because he is never given anything to do. Then, one day, strangers come to the gate—and Davey's master picks him for the very special task of carrying King Jesus into Jerusalem. Proud of this, Davey becomes grumpy when his master puts him to work doing ordinary things. But a few days later, he sees something terrible—angry people forcing that same King to carry a heavy beam of wood. After another donkey helps him understand that the King is being a Servant of His people, Davey makes up his mind to do every task without grumbling.
Unfortunately, The Donkey Who Carried a King feels contrived and clunky. It has a good message, its illustrations are attractive, and it's by R.C. Sproul, but it's not a book we would want to read over and over.
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