Chouchou in French means darling, and Francoise' donkey-hero, Chouchou, more than warrants his name. He is a sweet, sad little donkey with a gentle smile and far too often, because of the hard life he lives, tearful black eyes. His protector, a young photographer, appreciates Chouchou's quality and launches him on a successful career of modeling. But the machinery of indifferent law intercedes and Chouchou finds himself in jail. Francoise, whose previous books are nursery favorites, does not allow her friend to linger long in this unhappy state, and in the end, a beaming Chouchou looks assuredly toward the land of ""happily ever after"".