Rico's Road Home

By Lisa Miskella

Rico's Road Home is a powerful children's book inspired by the true rescue of a donkey who was once forgotten-but never gave up.

Rico was discovered in a holding pen, awaiting transport to Mexico where he would have been slaughtered for his hide. At just six years old, he was severely neglected-dehydrated, blind in one eye due to trauma, riddled with parasites, and suffering from painfully overgrown hooves.

But someone, over a thousand miles away, saw his photo and couldn't look away. That single act of compassion changed everything.

This beautifully illustrated book follows Rico's emotional journey from fear and mistrust to safety and hope. Coordinated by a rescuer who arranged everything from afar, Rico was pulled from the pen and transported halfway across the country to Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. On the long journey, he formed a gentle bond with a palomino horse traveling beside him. When he finally arrived, scared and unsure, he was met not with force-but with love, patience, and healing.

Little by little, Rico learned what it meant to feel safe. To take a carrot from a kind hand. To feel the bristles of a brush. To rest without fear. To trust.

And then came a surprise: Rico wasn't just a donkey. His striped legs and ears revealed that he was a rare zonkey-part zebra, part donkey. Unique in more ways than one, Rico's story is not only about rescue, but about identity, transformation, and the quiet power of being chosen.

This book is written for children ages 8-12 and is ideal for classrooms, sanctuary programs, and families who value empathy, animal welfare, and environmental awareness. It touches on real-world issues with age-appropriate sensitivity and uplifting hope.

All proceeds support the mission of Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abused, neglected, and abandoned farm animals.

A heartwarming, true tale of second chances, Rico's Story reminds us that every life-no matter how broken-is worth saving.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F6ZD1PYB
• ISBN13: 9798349309243
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary
• Length: 34 Pages
• Weight: 0.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7