The Dinky Donkey by Craig Smith

As reviewed on The Cafe, TV3

Parents, prepare yourselves. The donkey is back.

Singer and songwriter Craig Smith has brought the next chapter of the Wonky Donkey family to life, with the sequel, The Dinky Donkey.

Wonkey Donkey has a daughter with the same rambunctious spirit as her father.

The pint-sixed donkey has long eyelashes, loves to listen to rowdy music, has a cool spiky haircut, and sometimes smells a bit bad (like her dad).

Echoing the original story, Dinky Donky is a blinky, punky, stinky...you know how it goes...dinky donkey.

Smith uses the same rhyme and cumulative text structure of the best-selling original in this sequel too. So too is Smith's trademark quirky humour. Dinky Donkey is not perfect, but she's a bunch of fun. Younger readers will roar with laughter at her antics.

This time around there is no CD within the cover of the book. The song can be downloaded or streamed via Spotify. This is a bonus, with no scratching or struggle to find a CD player. However, it also puts the song at your fingertips, so be prepared to have to listen to it. A lot.

Illustrator Katz Cowley has also returned for the sequel. The donkeys' trademark style continues on, making it a familiar and polished book. Cowley's illustrations are full of sass and funk, a perfect match for the story and the characters.

While he's wanted to write a second donkey book for a while, the story was eventually inspired by Smith's preschool-aged daughter. He has also said he hopes to make the donkey books into a trilogy - about the Dinky Donkey's grandmother.

The Wonky Donkey has been a household name for a decade, The Dinky Donkey will continue on that legacy. With a funky, catchy soundtrack, again, and plenty of humour and character, The Dinky Donkey is a fun read.

Reviewer: Rebekah Fraser

Scholastic, RRP $19.99