The story of Tony the Donkey! A children's book illustrated by Artur Varela (1937–2017), completed shortly before the Portuguese artist's death, adapted and published posthumously by Daisy Publishing.
Daisy publishes its first children's book, The Donkey Who Wanted to Know Things. Written by Amanda Booth and illustrated by Portuguese artist Artur Varela, the project began in 2013 and was completed in 2016, just a year before Varela's death. Issued posthumously, it has been edited and adapted by Ana Baliza and Alice Dusapin, in collaboration with Amanda Booth. The Donkey Who Wanted to Know Things marks the launch of a new collection at Daisy Editions.
Tony isn't just any donkey, he's a donkey who wants to know things. He lives on a farm and spends his time learning about everything in his world. Yet he yearns for more knowledge, so when someone leaves the gate open, he escapes in search of a school. But donkeys aren't allowed in school, and he's sent away. The children decide to help him and come up with a brilliant plan to change the teacher's mind. A beautiful story that shows us that thinking and learning are an adventure that broadens our world, that imagination is a tool for solving problems and that we get better results when we work together.
"I felt sorry for donkeys and wondered where their reputation for being stupid came from. Wasn't it just that they were obstinate creatures who didn't always choose to obey their masters? Artur's donkeys looked more intelligent than the men they were replacing. Many of them had the air of philosophers pondering the questions of our existence. They also looked lonely. What must it be like when the whole world uses you as a symbol of stupidity? So I began to imagine a donkey who wanted to know things, much like a child wants to know things. A donkey with an irrepressible curiosity about life, but who is trapped by what others perceive to be its nature. And of course, it's rescued by the children, who haven't yet internalised these preconceptions, which come from the adult world."
Amanda Booth, 2026
Amanda Booth lives in Lisbon. She is a voice actor and translator, working mainly on scripts for children's film and animated series. She has written and directed a play for Portuguese school children and has a one-woman show for visitors to Lisbon, both related to the life and work of Fernando Pessoa.
Artur Varela (1937-2017) was born in Almodovar, Portugal. He studied sculpture at the Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa and lived in Holland for around 20 years before returning to Lisbon in the 70s. His work finds diverse expression in sculpture, painting, drawing, video and illustration. In 2023, it was presented at Ampersand as part of a group show that included Richard Hawkins and Pati Hill, and in 2024, in a two-part anthological exhibition at ZDB curated by Friends of Artur.
