Product Description

Prospector Rupert M. Sherwood and his burro, Prunes, are best friends. They go together like salt and pepper. When Rupe asks his neighbors to help look after Prunes, an unlikely friendship blossoms between people of the town and the remarkable prune-colored burro.Based on true events, Prunes and Rupe is a story of friendship, love, and flapjacks.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1472813 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 32 pages

Review
Based on true events and a stone monument erected in memory of the original Prunes in 1933, Prunes and Rupe is a children's picturebook about the bond between prospector Rupert M. Sherwood and his faithful burro, Prunes. They were a team for nearly forty-one years until their bodies became so worn and tired they couldn't work anymore. Rupe had to go to the lowlands on doctor's orders, and Prunes was faithfully tended to by Rupe's former neighbors. But when a terribly bitter snowstorm came, it would be the beginning of the end for the old donkey, and when Rupe's master's time came, his last wish was to be buried with Prunes. The detailed, folksy artwork complements this warmhearted tale of loyalty and fast friendship. --The Midwest Book Review, Children's Bookwatch

About the Author
Lydia Griffin grew up in Maine unaware that burro is another word for a donkey. She is saving her coins to purchase a miniature burro that she will name Prunes. Lydia is also the author of BeBa and the Curious Creature Catchers, a picture book based on stories her grandfather told. She lives high in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, Mike, and their dog, Mason.

Customer Reviews

Finding Gold
"There weren't two friends who loved each other more than Prunes and Rupe. They were like spaghetti and meatballs. They were like macaroni and cheese." Children relate to this kind of love, be it for a best friend, a pet, or a stuffed animal. They also relate to the responsibility that comes with love. Prunes' caretaker, Rupe, has to leave his home for the winter, so he asks a boy named Levi to watch over Prunes, and Levi says, "I'll take good care of him, I promise. Me and Prunes are good buddies." Children also understand that living things die, and Prunes dies. But they, like Rupe and everyone Prunes touched, are comforted that he remains in their memory.

I recommend that your children--and you--read this book, not only to receive the message of love, beautifully enacted through author Lydia Griffin's prose, but to also partake in a bit of life in Fairplay, Colorado, during and after the 1859 gold rush. The illustrations by Judith Hunt are exquisitely detailed, and they immerse you in a time and place like no other. Nothing, not the texture of Prune's tongue, the faces of coins in a jar, or the labels on goods in the General Store is left to chance. Reading this book is like prospecting for gold and finding it.

The detailed, folksy artwork complements this warmhearted tale of loyalty and fast friendship.
Based on true events and a stone monument erected in memory of the original Prunes in 1933, Prunes and Rupe is a children's picturebook about the bond between prospector Rupert M. Sherwood and his faithful burro, Prunes. They were a team for nearly forty-one years until their bodies became so worn and tired they couldn't work anymore. Rupe had to go to the lowlands on doctor's orders, and Prunes was faithfully tended to by Rupe's former neighbors. But when a terribly bitter snowstorm came, it would be the beginning of the end for the old donkey, and when Rupe's master's time came, his last wish was to be buried with Prunes. The detailed, folksy artwork complements this warmhearted tale of loyalty and fast friendship.

A great slice of Western history
The story of Prunes and Rupe is a remarkable and touching tale of an old miner and his dedicate pack mule. Kids will be amazed to find out that the story is based on fact and that Prunes became something of a local celebrity in the mountains of Colorado in the late 1800s. Forget the Pony Express! This "Mule Express" didn't even need a rider and carried mail and a lot more! I never knew a mule would eat flapjacks, either. This is a great book to incorporate into any social studies unit about the silver and gold rushes in the west. The illustrations are gorgeous, too.