The story of Hurry
Emma Williams
The story of Hurry
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Emma Williams
Illustrated by Quraishi, Ibrahim, illustrator
The text is written at a 1st grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The sun beats down on the dusty zoo as Hurry, the striped donkey, stands ready for his next brave adventure. Children laugh and gather, their hands reaching out to touch the magical zebra that’s not quite what it seems. But when trouble stirs beyond the fence, Hurry must find a way to keep the magic alive...
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set against the backdrop of the 2008 Gaza conflict, this picture book tells the story of a young zookeeper’s creative efforts to bring joy to children amid hardship. Through the tale of Hurry, a donkey painted to look like a zebra, it explores themes of resilience, imagination, and hope in difficult circumstances. Suitable for early readers ages 5-8, it includes an historical note to provide context for adults.
Why we rated The story of Hurry 6ME
The story of Hurry is written at a Level 1-2 reading level across 34 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 2.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The story of Hurry works for readers up to grade 3.5.
We rate The story of Hurry as 6ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Poverty, War & Conflict.
Thematically, The story of Hurry explores animals, imagination, family, social justice, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about animals, imagination, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
6ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
6/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781609805890
- Pages
- 34
- Publisher
- Seven Stories Press
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction