THE CHRISTMAS DONKEY

The gifted illustrator of several of her father Paul Coltman's books (Witch Watch, 1989) relates a simple tale of her own, one with unusual resonance. Arod, orneriest of three donkeys belonging to a dealer, is the last to be sold—in fact, the man is so eager to be rid of him that he gives him to Joseph. With his heart set on bearing a king, the donkey has no thoughts of reform, but each prank—lunging toward a patch of tasty thistles, rearing at a falling star—is miraculously transformed; his sudden maneuvers save Mary from a lion or a snake. His burden, too, seems to grow lighter; and though there's so little room in the crowded stable that he has to nip an ox to find space to kneel, the baby rewards this rapidly mellowing sinner with a smile. In her elegantly mannered paintings, McClure uses motifs from several historical periods, subtly integrating Fra Angelico's rosy towers and the dramatic reverence of 17th-century Spanish figures with her freer brushwork and more contemporary palette. Lovely. (Picture book. 4-9)