The Runaway Donkey, and Other Rhymes for Children

Some books for children are made up. This one is not. The rhymes in this collection are rooted in the real adventures of real animals: Barney the donkey who truly did run away and cause mischief, Rollo the pony whose clever tricks delighted the children who loved him. When Emilie Poulsson wrote these verses in the early 1900s, she drew from genuine farmyard escapades, giving each poem the warmth of something true. The collection centers on two unforgettable characters. Barney is chaos in donkey form, a small rebel whose pranks have become legend. His runaway escapades crackle with the kind of mischief children recognize and adore. Then there is gentle Rollo, the pony whose arrival brings a different kind of joy, quieter but no less profound. The children in these poems ride him, play with him, and find in him a friend. These are not grand tales. They are small, perfect poems about the creatures who share a child's world. The rhymes hop and skip like the young readers who will love them. Some of the stories actually happened: the donkey really did escape, the pony really did learn clever tricks, and even Queen Victoria makes a true appearance. For children who love animals, for families who want verses that dance, this collection offers the quiet magic of knowing these adventures really occurred.