Darby the donkey

Grey, Estelle (Esta de Fossard)

This is about a donkey who is searching for “school” to be with the children and learn things. He discovers new friends and learns on the way.

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Printing history
Childerset, Victoria, 1978, 36 pp, photographs by  Haworth Bartram
As Lenny, the Lost Donkey, Gareth Stevens, Milwaukee, 1985, 32 pp

This is about a donkey who is searching for “school” to be with the children and learn things. He discovers new friends and learns on the way.

Estelle de Fossard/Estelle Grey

Grey, Estelle (Esta de Fossard)

Esta de Fossard (b.1934) was born in Melbourne. She’s written picture books under her own name, and under her pseudonym of Estelle Grey, the four book Julie Gordon series, about a teenage girl. One of the books, Julie Gordon: the Pony Club Camp is a horse story. In other volumes of the series, Julie gets to be an exchange student, go in for the school fashion contest, and confound smugglers.

Under her own name, Esta de Frossard wrote several picture books, many of which were illustrated by Haworth Bartram. She was educated at the University of Melbourne, and taught English at Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne. After her marriage, she emigrated to America, where she wrote on writing for television and radio.

Finding the book
Not many copies about, but are reasonably priced when they do turn up.

Sources and links
Austlit
Equitainment