About This Book
Reach for this book when you are navigating the constant tug-of-war between digital devices and physical play, or when you want to celebrate the tactile joy of reading with a child. This clever story features a tech-savvy donkey who is baffled by a physical book, asking if it needs a password, a mouse, or a charger. Through the monkey's patient and funny responses, the book highlights the unique magic of print in a world full of screens. It is a lighthearted way to discuss media balance and the value of unplugging. Parents will appreciate the sophisticated humor and the way it validates the physical reading experience for a digital-native generation.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book concludes with a pun involving the word "jackass." While used in a literal sense for the donkey character, parents may want to prepare for a conversation about name-calling or explain the double meaning of the word.
Ideal Reader
A child between ages 4 and 8 who is very comfortable with tablets and apps, or a parent who feels their child is spending too much time on a screen and wants a funny way to advocate for "unplugged" reading time.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold. Note that the humor relies on the contrast between digital terminology and the physical object, so being ready to explain terms like "scrolling" or "wi-fi" (if the child doesn't know them) helps the jokes land. A parent might reach for this after seeing their child swipe at a physical magazine expecting it to change, or after a struggle to transition away from tablet time.
Age Experience
Preschoolers will enjoy the slapstick absurdity of a donkey with a laptop and the repetitive rhythm of the dialogue. Older elementary students (grades 1-3) will catch the satire and the "inside joke" about how obsessed we are with our devices.
What Makes It Special
Lane Smith uses his signature textured art and minimalist dialogue to create a meta-commentary on the medium itself. It manages to be pro-book without being preachy, using sharp wit instead of a moralizing tone.
Read plot summary
A donkey, heavily equipped with a laptop and various gadgets, encounters a monkey reading a physical book. The donkey is skeptical and confused, asking a series of questions based on digital functionality: Does it scroll? Does it blog? Can it fight monsters? The monkey calmly responds to each query with a simple refrain: "It's a book." Eventually, the donkey becomes so engrossed in the story within the pages that he forgets his gadgets entirely, refusing to give the book back to the monkey.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The donkey thinks the book needs a password. Why does he think that, and what are some other things books don't need that tablets do?
2
At first, the donkey doesn't see the point of the book. What changes his mind by the end of the story?
3
If you could show the donkey your favorite book, what part would you show him first to get him interested?
4
The monkey is very patient with the donkey's questions. How would you explain what a book is to someone who had never seen one before?
