Everything you need to know about the donkey...

Know Your Donkeys includes 34 breeds of donkey and mule (horse-donkey crosses), with pictures of each and a mixture of description, history and lore, about each.

The entry for the Irish Donkey, for example, says ...

"It is strongly believed that donkeys arrived in the British Isles with the Roman armies. During the Peninsula War in Iberia (1808-1814) there was great demand for Irish horses.

"Donkeys from England were traded for these horses and records suggest that this is when the donkey became more visible in Ireland.

"One line of my research suggests that in its early days in Ireland, the donkey was owned solely by the wealthy and used for milk. There is mention of a single donkey being taken as spoils at the fall of Maynooth Castle in 1534."

The pocket-sized Know Your series, from Old Pond Publishing, now includes Sheep, Cattle, Horses, Chickens, Pigs and (by a different author) Tractors, Combines, Trucks and Buses. The series has sold more than 100,000 copies over three years. Books can be ordered at 4.99 each, plus 2.75 postage per order, via the Yorkshire Post Bookshop. Call free on 0800 0153232 or go to www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk/