Burro's Tale

A Burro's Tale is the story of one young burro and the important job he performs that gains him the acceptance from the other working burros in the stable and places him at the heart of perhaps, the most famous story ever told. The setting for this story is Old Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the surrounding valleys. Jerusalem, for the purposes of this story, has been, transformed into Old Santa Fe; and the story has a warm Hispanic blanket wrapped around it. On one particular year, Raphael's burros had all been, rented, with the exception of Pedro. That is, until Joseph and Maria arrive in need of a burro to assist them on their journey. Pedro's first job is a very, very important one and he unexpectedly winds up smack-dab in the middle of the first Christmas.

The author, P. J. Day and his two brothers and two sisters grew up in the magical valley of Tesuque, located just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of the family pets was a one-year-old little gray burro named Pedro. While reminiscing about that marvelous childhood Christmas Day in 2001, P. J. wrote a short poem for his daughter Jordyn, placing Pedro smack-dab in the middle of the first Christmas. A Burro's Tale evolved from that poem conceived on Christmas Day, 2001. The setting for A Burro's Tale is in fact the Tesuque Valley. Raphael's family business in the story is renting out his burros to the townsfolk who do not have a burro of their own. The burros are rented for travel, pulling carts, plowing fields, and carrying goods from the market. Pedro, the central character in A Burro's Tale, is younger and a bit smaller than the rest of the burros and has not yet been chosen for his first day of work. Pedro's journey throughout the story is really about the coming of age that all youngsters eventually face and learning to take his responsibilities seriously. Kids can be cruel, and Pedro's peer group in the story is no different. In order to gain acceptance, he must learn to ignore the relentless teasing from the other burros on the ranch (and a couple of mischievous horseflies) and work very hard to prove his worth. The story is filled with many valuable life lessons that all kids and young adults will relate to, because they will all go through them one day, or are being tested at this very moment. At all cost, it's about doing the right thing.

The author, P.J. Day and his two brothers and two sisters grew up in the magical valley of Tesuque (Tazookey), located about five miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of the family pets was a little gray burro they had named Pedro, who was less than a year old when he came to live with them. While reminiscing about that marvelous childhood on Christmas Day 2001, the first book, A Burro's Tale was conceived. Some years after that, the story continued in Call of the Burro and now the third book in the series; The Burro's Colt. The setting for The Burro's Colt continues to be the Tesuque Valley. Some of the original burros from A Burro's Tale and Call of the Burro remain on the ranch. Many of which have become too old to rent out for any serious work, but continue to be loved and cared for by Raphael and his family. In this third book in the series the burros are more in the background of the story rather than the story revolving around the burros many adventures. A twist of fate places Pedro in the position of serving Jesus once again in his time of need. Jesus and the Holy Family have returned to Jerusalem after being gone for some eighteen years. The Burro's Colt places the reader in numerous situations throughout the book that the reader must determine what they themselves may have decided to do under the same circumstances. Especially, if they were put in the kind of danger that taking the wrong side might have placed them in, within what has undoubtedly become the greatest story ever told.