ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Attention picky eaters: believe it or not, eating only one thing can make you change color! Take Little Donkey, for instance. His mommy introduces him to lots of options, but he prefers to eat just grass. And because grass is green, well, Little Donkey starts to sport green fur. Before he is able to turn gray again, his mom spots him. It looks like it's definitely time to try new foods: oranges, watermelon, broccoli, apples, grapes ttle Donkey tries them all. But nope, nope, nope. Not one is palatable. Finally, carrots appease him, and he has a new favorite food. Whoops ess what color he is now? Allepuz delivers a humorous take on a topic that's quite common, while depicting an adorable donkey in pastel illustrations. This fun picture book might help picky eaters reflect on the consequences of poor diets, discuss nutrition, and highlight favorite foods in a playful way. To go even further, pair with Tracey Kyle and Carolina Farías' Gazpacho for Nacho (2014) or Ryan Miller and Hatem Aly's How to Feed Your Parents (2018).

Kirkus Reviews

Little Donkey lives out the adage that you are what you eat, with humorous outcomes.Little Donkey is a finicky eater and will eat only green grass. Mom tries to convince her child to try other foods, to no avail. Humorous illustrations show that Little Donkey's exclusive overconsumption of grass causes a dramatic transformation. When Little Donkey sees a decidedly green reflection in the pond, the young equine panics, rolling in mud and leaves to try to conceal the greenness. Mom sees right through this ruse-Little Donkey's green snout is clearly and comically visible. This finally prompts Little Donkey to try other foods, but none appeal-until Little Donkey tries carrots. Careful readers may have noticed the carrots decorating the front endpapers and will delight to see this newfound favorite food. Alas, trying and loving carrots does not break Little Donkey's trying trait. Young readers will not be surprised to see the protagonist overindulging so that the once-green hide turns orange. "Great," Little Donkey says on the final page, delivering a funny ending if not a sign of growth. Throughout, Allepuz's colorful illustrations augment the text's humor, especially in a spread akin to a centerfold that shows Little Donkey's alarm at being all green, head-to-hoof.A good pick even for picky readers. (Picture book. 3-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Employing vibrant mixed media illustrations and an exuberant, single-minded protagonist, Allepuz (That Fruit Is Mine!) presents a comic cautionary tale for picky eaters. Round-bellied Little Donkey has a very limited palate that-despite his mother-s pleas-consists entirely of grass, -so sweet and tangy, flavory fresh and green!- -Even my pillow is made of grass, so that when I wake up, I can start eating right away,- Little Donkey declares. An opening image of the animal luxuriating in a lush emerald field makes grass seem very tasty indeed, but as Little Donkey-s belly fills, the voracious eater transforms from pale gray to viridescent. Venturing to a stream for water, Little Donkey is shocked by the lawn-like reflection staring back: -I am a GIGANTIC herb!- When an attempt at a muddy, leafy disguise fails to fool Little Donkey-s mom, she attempts to offer her child some new foods-oranges, grapes, apples, watermelon. Via a mostly blank text-only spread, readers are told that nothing is as delicious as grass. But an explosion of carroty confetti, and an amusing tune celebrating the orange food, suggest that Little Donkey-s newest obsession may again have colorful consequences. The bright, silly humor of Allepuz-s gleeful gourmand will leave even the fussiest eaters giggling. Ages 3-7. (July)

School Library Journal (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

PreS It's fragrant, delicious, and irresistible, and the little gray-brown donkey eats so much of the grass he loves that he soon turns green. That's where preschoolers will howl for the first time. His misguided but funny attempts to hide himselfrolling in the mud and covering his body with leavesfail. Next, with the encouragement of his mother, the little donkey tries a range of foods including oranges, watermelon, apples, and grapes. The next moment of delight comes when the donkey discovers a passion for carrotsand turns orange. Like Eric Carle's A Very Hungry Caterpillar , this book will have a rapt and ready audience. VERDICT Allepuz's text and illustrations combine to highlight the sweet ridiculousness of embracing one choice to the exclusion of others.Alpha DeLap, St. Thomas Sch., Medina, WA