Thank you, Jackson

Most children recognise the donkey trait of stubbornness, and in this tale we learn that South African donkeys are stubborn too. Every page gives us an impression of the wide open terrain, the colour palette being bright and hot, with a brilliant, shiny sun on the cover. For years Jackson the donkey has worked for the farmer, daily toiling up the hill to market, carrying baskets overflowing with vegetables to be sold. One morning old Jackson just stops halfway, refusing to move further. The farmer tries pushing him, pulling him, but Jackson has had enough of his thankless task of daily slog. The farmer’s irritation gets the better of him, and when he shouts “BAD DONKEY,” Jackson just sits down, spilling the precious veg down the hill. Furious, the farmer threatens to BEAT him if he doesn’t get up before he counts to ten. Fortunately, Beauty, his wife is watching from below, and she sends their son, Goodwill, to help the situation. But what could he do? The small boy whispers in the donkey’s ear, and Jackson immediately rises. In explanation, the son says to his amazed father, ‘Mama says it’s the little things, like saying please and thank you, that make a big difference in the world.’ A charming book with a heart-felt message, by an award-winning husband and wife team.