A sweet, playful story about identity - and what it means to belong.

Why, of course Donkey’s a cat. He spends all his time with the other cats on the farm. He licks his fur and pounces, just like they do. He even cuddles with them at nap time. Though, he must admit, sometimes he does feel … a little off. So, when Farmer says to him, “Donkey, you’re acting like a cat!” it gets him thinking. What if he’s not a cat? And if not, then what is he? Will going off on his own help Donkey figure out what he is and where he belongs?

Award-winning author Kari-Lynn Winters’s delightful story of self-discovery uses kid-perfect hilarity to deliver the message that every individual has something unique to offer to their community. The contrast between Donkey and his cat friends makes for laugh-out-loud silliness in Kelly Collier’s endearing and amusing art (ever seen a Donkey perch on a fence post?). Pages are filled with spot illustrations, speech bubbles and action words that keep the visual appeal high. Sure to be a story-time crowd-pleaser, this picture book could easily spark discussions about identity, fitting in and belonging. It also works well for character education lessons on adaptability, inclusiveness, initiative and caring.

KARI-LYNN WINTERS

Kari-Lynn Winters is an award-winning children’s author, playwright, and academic scholar. Twenty-five of her picturebooks have been accepted for publication. She is also an experienced teacher of writing, who has taught a range of students in Canada and the United States, including pre-school, special education, primary and intermediate, high school, and university teacher education. Kari-Lynn holds a position at Brock University as an Associate Professor. Her research interests are drama in education, children’s literature, and multi-modal forms of authorship.