[Maureen Daly's meek adventure The Small War of Sergeant Donkey] ends predictably with boy and burro saving the life of the soldier.

For one moment, the book rouses itself from mediocrity. The hungry boy, Chico, is thoughtlessly handed a chocolate bar by the American to feed to a U.S. Army donkey. As Chico's pride wars with his desire, the chocolate effectively represents the enormous gap between the Haves and Havenots. Unfortunately this instant of sensitivity is the exception in a book that reads more like a rough draft than a published novel.