The Jackass

By: Thomas Stimson

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Mario the Jackass is the town clown of Puerto de Santa Maria, where a handful of years before, the great Christopher Columbus set sail and discovered the New World. At fifteen, Mario earns more coins by singing silly songs, cracking jokes and performing tricks along the waterfront than his widowed father can make as a cargo-handler at the busy docks.

Embarrassed by his foolish son and with many mouths to feed, Papa hires Mario out to a trading ship bound for New Spain with the hopes of coming back with a share of the merchant’s profits.

While collecting water and coconuts on the shores of New Spain, the landing crew is attacked, shipmates are slaughtered and Mario becomes the lone captive of the Jaguar People. Without a way home and afraid for his life, he uses his jackass talents to endear himself to the villagers. In time, Mario is transported to the capital city and traded to the King for food and favors as the Royal Court’s newest fool.

But living in the palace with a beautiful caretaker is not all fun and games. More dangers face Mario in the form of a jealous rivalry with Ignot, the bitter dwarf jester, hand-to-paw combat against a hungry jaguar and the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors bringing treasure-seekers and deadly diseases to the Kingdom.

Will Mario the Jackass return to Spain, the land of his birth? Or stay and help the Jaguar People who have accepted him as one of their own? Danger and humor abound in equal measure as Mario weaves his way between two very different worlds with the optimism of a Jackass and the heart of a Jaguar.

A five-star review by Craig Stucko: A quaint story with a great deeper meaning about being yourself and seeing the good in things. The main character puts his own beliefs of himself first, even when his family tries to get him to conform to social norms. Lots of references to Spain’s overtaking of lands in the America’s as the protagonist, Mario, struggles through capture, abandonment, disease, and sabotage. The jokes are cute, and forgiveness is king. Very enjoyable and good for young and old alike.