Pedro and Jesus

The author, P. J. Day, 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 book 2, Call of the Burro, followed by book 3, The Burro's Colt, and book 4, Tilly's Gift. The story of Pedro and Jesus is the fifth and final book in the series. The series concludes with the anticipation and eventual celebration of that day when Jesus returns.

The story of Pedro and Jesus continues to take place in the Tesuque Valley. Pinto, Chip, and Julie are in their senior years now and are the last three remaining burros on the ranch. They perform only light duties these days but serve as a continued reminder of the burros' hard work and dedication that have contributed so greatly to the success of the ranch that the four generations of Raphael's family enjoy today. In this final book in the series, a stranger traveling with his burro continues to unexpectedly appear in the valley. Time and time again, when the stranger and his burro appear in the midst of a potentially dire situation, instead of tragedy, people are blessed in ways they could never have imagined. When Jesus finally reveals himself, he leaves us with the understanding of how simple it is to ensure a place in heaven one day and provides us with a wonderful vision of what heaven will be like.

The artwork of Pedro and Jesus on the front cover was created and graciously contributed for use on the cover by Shawn Costello.