Jonadab and Rita

PreS-Gr 1—What Minnie doesn't know about her gray velvet donkey is that Jonadab has the ability to fly whenever the urge strikes, though he has not done so for a long time. Spending too much time in the toy box and feeling ignored by the child, the stuffed toy decides to fly to the park for an evening outside. He has an exciting adventure with a flight of fairies but when he returns home, he finds the window closed and knows that he wasn't even missed. His return to the park doesn't go well, and he sadly spends a cold night under a bench feeling totally rejected. When Rita, a small toy mouse, magically comes to his aid and helps take him back to Minnie, the toy realizes he is loved after all. Colorful illustrations cover half of each page while the text is set off in rectangular boxes highlighted with small black pen-and-ink sketches featuring characters from the tale. Departing from her Alfie and Annie Rose books, Hughes presents a slightly longer magical story of the need to be loved and appreciated. This quiet fantasy will be welcomed by her many fans.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI