THE DONKEY AND THE GOLDEN LIGHT
by John Speirs & illustrated by Gill Speirs
A donkey born in the stable on the same night as Jesus is the focus of this sumptuously illustrated story that follows the beast of burden throughout his life. The donkey, named Bethlehem, is repeatedly sold or traded, and at each new location, he remembers all his past owners and the symbolic golden light present at his birth, recounted in the text in cumulative fashion with a repeating refrain. Each illustration of the donkey in a new place also depicts one of the main stories from the life of Jesus, often barely visible in the background, until the donkey carries Jesus into Jerusalem and finds the golden light again as his own life is ending when he sees Jesus outside the tomb. The intricately detailed full-page illustrations, bordered in gold, are complemented by smaller illustrations on the text pages in the style of illuminated manuscripts. In an artist’s note and list of illustration references, Speirs explains the influence of Bruegel on his paintings and why he chose to use the dress and settings of the Renaissance. Some will find this tale of a thinking donkey maudlin; others will find it illuminating. (Nonfiction. 6-10)