Robert Byrd (1) (1942–)

Walking in the woods one winter's day, Saint Francis of Assisi comes upon a disconsolate little donkey, and asking this fellow what the matter is, discovers that his asinine friend is discouraged by the fact that his kind are given the hardest work, and are ridiculed for the way they sound. Appealing to the saint, the donkey asks why they are treated this way, and is in turn regaled with the story of how his kind came to be: how the first donkey angered the other animals with his criticism show more and scorn, and how they retaliated, leading to his current appearance; and how God, angry at his ingratitude, made hm a beast of burden. Further cast down by this tale, the donkey is comforted by the next portion of St. Francis' recitation, learning how one brave and true little donkey bore Mary and the unborn Jesus on their journey to Bethlehem, winning a role at the birthplace of the savior, and comforting him as an infant child with his sweet breath...

Pairing a lovely folkloric story with beautiful illustrations, Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey is an immensely appealing holiday picture book, and is the fourth title I have read from author/illustrator Robert Byrd, following upon his Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife, The Hero and the Minotaur, and his edition of the Brothers Grimm tale, The Bear and the Bird King. Legends concerning St. Francis of Assisi and his kindness to his animal friends are abundant, something made clear in the author's extensive afterword here, although I don't believe I have encountered the specific tale regarding the donkey's origin before. I'm more familiar with the story in which the saint preached to the birds, or tamed the wolf, although I have also heard the tale in which the saint's own donkey wept at his deathbed, upon being thanked for his trouble. I would be curious to know whether the creation story presented here, explaining the donkey's braying and his status as a working animal, comes from the St. Francis tradition, or whether Byrd took it from some other source, feeling it fit the narrative, and then paired it with the better-known story of the donkey who bore Mary to Bethlehem. I have not read about St. Francis extensively, so I am unsure on that point, although I do think it's fascinating that the saint apparently referred to his own body as "brother donkey," when denying himself comfort. Could this point to a sense of affinity between the state of the donkey, and the human sinner, in Francis' world view?

Leaving these questions aside, this was an enjoyable story, with a gentle, contemplative end. The accompanying artwork was lovely and expressive—I think I preferred Byrd's animals to his human figures, but overall I found the visuals here appealing. Recommended to picture book readers looking for retellings of the Christmas Story that also features some folkloric elements. show less

One of a number of folkloric/mythological picture-book adaptations from Robert Byrd - others include the Irish tale, Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife, and the Grimm fairy-tale, The Bear and the Bird King - this foray into the world of Greek mythology cobbles together two related tales: the story of the hero Theseus, his discovery of his heritage and his father, and his quest to slay the Minotaur, and free Athens from the onerous tribute that had been imposed by King Minos of Crete; and the show more story of the great inventor Daedalus and his son, Icarus, and their flight from captivity in Minos' palace.

I appreciated Byrd's narrative, which, despite being aimed at younger readers, didn't soften or omit some of the more disturbing incidents in these stories, from Icarus' fall to King Aegeus' suicide. I was a little surprised to see the two story strands joined in quite the way that they were, because although the are (as Byrd observes) related - both feature King Minos, and the labyrinth of the Minotaur - they're not usually paired so closely. Still, it made sense once I'd thought about it, and I enjoyed the combination, although I wish Byrd had included his specific sources. Leaving that aside, this was an engaging work of Greek mythology for the younger, picture-book set, with an engrossing text and appealing illustrations. show less

It always amazes me when a subject that seems to have been done to death like Benjamin Franklin can be made fresh and exciting as it is in this quite stunning introduction to America's most interesting founding father. Byrd packs what seems like a lot of textual information into this picture biography but the narrative is consistently engaging and the information never overwhelming. His illustrations are elegant and amazingly detailed. A superb accomplishment.

A picture-book retelling of an Irish folktale concerning the giant Finn MacCoul, his clever wife Oonagh, and the fearsome Scottish giant Cucullin. Needless to say, when Cucullin comes to challenge the terrified Finn, it's Oonagh's quick thinking that wins the day...

Taken from sources such as Joseph Jacobs' Celtic Fairy Tales (1892) and Yeats' Fairy and Folktales of Ireland, (1888), this story is the only tale, which I have read, that features Cucullin (Cúchulainn) as a villainous Scotsman. show more He is usually seen as a heroic figure in the Ulster Cycle of tales, particularly the Táin Bó Cúailnge, and has been called the "Irish Achilles." Byrd's presentation of this tale offers both an engaging narrative, and vibrant, colorful illustrations. Well worth a look, especially for the reader interested in Irish folklore. show less