Little Colt's Palm Sunday

by Michelle Abrams

A young donkey asks his mother to retell how his great-great-grandfather once carried the mother of Jesus while she was with child, then learns for himself how marvelous it feels to do something for God.

Genres: Picture Books, Religion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little donkey hears the story of his great-great-grandfather, who carried the Virgin Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus, and wonders if he himself will ever meet this King of Kings. Shortly thereafter he gets his chance, chosen as the donkey that will bear Jesus into Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday...

After reading Marni McGee and John Winch's The Colt and the King , and realizing that it was the first picture-book I had ever encountered devoted to the story of Palm Sunday, I went looking for other titles with the same theme, discovering Little Colt's Palm Sunday in the process. The books are quite similar, in that both tell the story of Palm Sunday from the perspective of the little donkey chosen to carry Jesus on that fateful day. This seems a logical choice, as children gravitate to animal stories, and this perspective allows for an outsider's look at the familiar tale. It is a storytelling choice one also sees in retellings of the Nativity Story for children, whether from the perspective of the stable animals - see the many picture-book versions of The Animals' Christmas Carol - or from that of the donkey carrying Mary into Bethlehem, as in such titles as The Donkey's Dream , by Barbara Helen Berger. Here the narrative is in rhyme, and directly connects the Palm Sunday donkey to the donkey of the Nativity Story. Although the language here sometimes struck me as a little too colloquial for a Bible story retelling, and although the rhymes sometimes felt a little too cute for me, I did enjoy this book, appreciating both the tale and the accompanying artwork from Wayne Parmenter. The McGee/Winch book is the superior one, I think, and if I could only recommend one book about Palm Sunday, that would be the one I chose, but this also has something to offer, and is quite appealing.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A library last second grab that will become a new favorite. Colorful, rich oil painting illustrations. The whole thing is written in ABAB rhyme scheme.
Jesus is God in this book. The colt is honored to bear Him on his back.
The colt’s great great grandfather bore Mary pregnant with Jesus. The author celebrates how both donkeys felt blessed to “carry God.” 😊

Simply a sweet book. It begins with the Luke 19:30-36 account of Jesus commanding his disciples to loose the colt. Wonderfully captures both the journey to Bethlehem and Palm Sunday.
Jesus is a calming presence in the book, and baby gets exited to see Him.

[Josie Siler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers will fall in love with precious Little Colt while learning about Palm Sunday.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as told from the perspective of the young donkey on which he rode. This view point intrigued my daughter and she liked hearing the story again and again. I like that it told the whole (albeit short) version of Jesus' life from birth until Palm Sunday.

With it's subtle, rhyming verses and colorful illustrations, this is definitely a book that we'll be reading again next year too.