PUCE TAKES THE REINS is the story of 10-year old Puce Wallace, whose life is unexpectedly changed - by a donkey! Puce is the youngest of four girls, and the sisters are being raised by a single mom, a landscape painter. Because Puce is the youngest, she is very much babied and lacks confidence in herself. But when Puce meets a donkey named Paprika, she starts down an exciting new path. Puce loses her baby fat and begins to grow into a self-assured young woman. The story is set in a rural village in Northern New Mexico. Though the characters are totally modern (everyone has cell phones), the pictures capture the rustic beauty and unique traditions of this region. The characters, as is typical in New Mexico, are a blend of cultures: Hispanic, Anglo, and Native American.