Take a hike! That’s pretty much the way I’ve been getting outside during the coronavirus restrictions. While my hikes have not been as exciting as climbing Mount Washington, like the miniature donkey in Ellen Feld’s new children’s book, I can relate to the key message — that it’s important to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Donkey-Donk shows us that a hike is not just reaching the pinnacle, it’s about training, determination and stamina; it’s about the things you see along the way; and with a little motivation, anyone can do it.
I’m always looking for fun books to read to my two nephews — books where there are no ninjas and there are more words than Pow!, Bang! and Crash! This is a book that I can enjoy reading to them as much as they will take pleasure in the story.
Take a Hike! is the third book in a series about Donkey-Donk, a miniature donkey with a take-charge personality. The adorable Donkey-Donk shows children the way, whether it’s by practicing for a horse show, figuring out what she’s good at or getting ready for a hike.
The photographs are wonderful (who doesn’t like mini donks) and being a New Englander, I am super impressed by the photos from Mount Washington. Now that Donky-Donk has made the climb (and she’s far more nimble than I on the rugged sections of the trail), maybe I’ll need to climb it, too. Although, maybe I’ll drive up like her and stop at the scenic spots for pictures :).
Take a Hike! is written for ages 3-6. It’s 36 pages with 21 full-color photos and will be released May 7, 2020. You can purchase the Donkey-Donk books on Amazon.
Award-winning author Ellen Feld began writing about horses more than 20 years ago. At first she wrote for small, regional publications, but within a few short years, her work began to appear regularly in large, national magazines. In 2001, while waiting for her next assignment, Ms. Feld wrote a short story about a Morgan. That tale became the first chapter of Blackjack: Dreaming of a Morgan Horse. The book went on to win a coveted Children’s Choices award, an honor bestowed jointly by the International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council. To date, Ms. Feld has authored fourteen horse books, including seven in the Morgan Horse series. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two children, a small herd of horses, and assorted other pets.
The photographs are by John Cebula, who has been involved in photography since the age of 12. His primary photographic interests have been nature and animal photography. In addition, John has spent the last few decades breeding, raising and photographing Clydesdale horses. For the last three years, John has been monitoring and photographing a bald eagle nest for the New York Capital Region Audubon Society. He has also made two trips to Chincoteague Island in the past year to photograph the Chincoteague ponies and birds, with plans to return again in the near future to get some great shots for another book project with author Ellen Feld.