Simpson's Donkey

Based on the most famous animal in Australian history, “Simpson’s Donkey” tells the story of his service during the Gallipoli campaign, where for three weeks he was one of several donkeys that Simpson used to carry wounded men down to Anzac Cove. His life before and after Gallipoli is a mystery but Peter Stanley beautifully imagines the rest. Stanley tells the donkey’s story – in the donkey’s own voice – taking the reader on a journey from the Aegean island of Lemnos to Gallipoli to Egypt, Palestine and then back to Gallipoli at the end of the Great War. In doing so, “Simpson’s Donkey” not only brings the donkey’s story to life, it also brings the horrible realities of war to the fore. The war is the backdrop to the donkey’s tale and as we follow the little donkey on his journey we also learn about the war and its terrible impact on people and animals alike. As the story begins the donkey is separated from his adored mistress Sofya when the Greeks occupy Lemnos in 1913, and after various adventures – in which each new owner calls him by a new name – he returns to Gallipoli in 1919 to be reunited with his beloved Sofya. From village beast of burden to hospital pet, to supply carrier for the war in the desert, the donkey’s story is an adventurous journey on which he meets courage and cruelty, and comradeship between human and donkey. Key points: narrated in the first person by Simpson’s donkey, a compelling story unfolds that informs the reader of the history of the Great War as it was played out in the Mediterranean theatre of war; beautifully drawn illustrations perfectly suited to the history and narrative bring the characters, time and place to life for the reader; and, perfectly drafted for upper primary readers.