Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin is a donkey that knows what it likes and what it dislikes. Complementing Yang’s color-saturated artwork is a simple text that makes clear Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin’s purpose and declaration: “Some people say, ‘Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin, you sweet donkey, I want to ride you, I want to own you.’ ‘Oh, no, never! Impossible!’ I tell them, and send them on their way,” with a hoof to the hindquarters. There is one person Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin enjoys spending time with: the little boy who named him, after the sounds of the bells around the donkey’s neck. They travel around the countryside, season to season, in pursuit of blossoms in spring and turtles in summer, persimmons in the fall, and laying down a fresh set of tracks in the snow. They are pals who appreciate the subtlety of friendship, as when “he gives me room to be alone with my thoughts.” Whether giving room or sharing good times, Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin and the boy’s approach gives friendship an enviable suppleness. (Picture book. 3-8)
