Louie's dad returns home from Uncle Pete's farm with a newborn mini donkey hidden in a laundry basket.

Louie outlines a detailed care plan for the donkey, and his parents reluctantly agree to let him try.

Louie patiently coaxes the weak donkey to drink milk for two hours, finally succeeding and falling asleep holding him.

Mack brings Claudine and Nora to meet Winslow, but Nora declares the sickly donkey will not survive.

Louie wakes one morning to find Winslow breathing shallowly and too weak to stand, and alerts his parents.

A veterinarian diagnoses Winslow with an infection and teaches Louie to administer a daily shot for ten days.

Louie successfully gives Winslow his first injection despite nearly fainting from fear of hurting the donkey.

Louie begins sitting with Nora at school lunch, tells her Winslow is improving, and persuades her to visit.

Louie discovers Winslow's pen standing open one morning and the donkey is nowhere to be found.

Louie's parents reveal that Winslow cannot legally remain at their house because the property is not zoned for farm animals.

An animal control officer visits and gives the family seven days to remove Winslow from the property.

During a thunderstorm, Winslow's frantic braying leads Louie outside, where he discovers smoke rising from Mrs. Tooley's house.

Louie bangs on Mrs. Tooley's door until she rushes out with her baby, and she credits Winslow with saving them.

Uncle Pete reveals a coyote killed one of his lambs, and Louie unexpectedly suggests Winslow move to the farm.

Louie and Nora walk Winslow to Uncle Pete's farm for the last time, settling the donkey into his permanent new home.

When Louie's father brings home a motherless newborn mini donkey, Louie immediately vows to save the struggling animal despite a history of failing to keep pets alive. He coaxes Winslow to drink milk, names him, and keeps him in the basement, but the donkey soon develops a dangerous infection that forces Louie to learn how to give daily injections. As Winslow grows stronger, he attracts the attention of a quiet, guarded neighbor named Nora, whose own grief makes her resistant to caring for the donkey. Neighborhood complaints and legal pressure eventually force Louie's family to accept that Winslow cannot stay, and a dramatic late-night fire reveals just how protective the donkey has become. After Winslow helps save Mrs. Tooley and her baby, and a coyote attacks livestock at Uncle Pete's farm, Louie makes the painful but mature decision to let the donkey go where he is truly needed.

The core story of Louie nursing Winslow from birth to a bittersweet goodbye.

At the feedstore, Louie's dad buys minimal supplies expecting the donkey to die, while Mack recommends a book about donkeys.

Louie stays awake nursing Winslow and wonders whether his parents once hovered over him the same way after his own premature birth.

Nora appears outside Louie's house bundled in black and yellow winter gear and watches Winslow take his first wobbly steps.

Nora suggests letting Winslow wear diapers so he can roam freely through the house without making a mess.

Uncle Pete visits and quietly tells Louie that Winslow's mother died after giving birth.

Nora learns that Winslow is sick and storms away from Louie's house in visible distress.

Louie searches the school library for information about donkeys but is directed only to Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh.

Nora visits and gives Louie a collar and leash for Winslow so the donkey can be taken on walks.

Louie and Nora take Winslow to the sledding hill, where Nora sleds down holding the donkey and squeals with joy.

Mack confides that Claudine wants more space, and Louie advises his heartbroken friend to give her time.

Neighbor Mrs. Tooley repeatedly shouts that Winslow's braying keeps waking her baby, making clear the donkey cannot stay much longer.

A Board of Health officer arrives, lists the dangers of keeping a farm animal in a residential area, and demands Winslow's removal.

Louie and Nora walk Winslow to Uncle Pete's farm and are moved by the sight of newborn twin lambs.

Mrs. Tooley and her baby stay at Louie's house after the fire, and Winslow brays protectively every time the infant cries.

Louie returns home after settling Winslow at the farm and finds a letter from Gus announcing he will visit soon.

While Louie focuses on keeping Winslow alive, a web of smaller moments defines his growth and the bonds he forms. Reflections on his own premature birth deepen his empathy for the donkey, and early visits from Nora hint at a friendship neither child fully understands yet. Winslow's health setbacks and eventual recovery create a rhythm of worry and relief that draws Nora closer despite her instinct to stay distant. As the donkey grows too large and loud for the neighborhood, complaints from Mrs. Tooley and official visits from authorities accelerate the pressure on Louie's family. A first trip to Uncle Pete's farm, an unexpected act of heroism during a fire, and a long-awaited letter from Gus round out a story of caregiving, friendship, and hope holding steady under pressure.

The relationships and supporting moments that quietly shaped Louie's journey.

The newborn donkey emits a sound like the word 'please,' and Louie declares he will save the animal no matter what.

Nora reveals her baby brother was born prematurely and did not survive, explaining why she refuses to hold Winslow.

Louie falters during a shot attempt and drives the needle into Winslow's muscle, causing the donkey to cry out in pain.

Louie discovers that the painting hanging above his bed was created by an artist named Winslow Homer.

Nora argues that Winslow will never be free and will get sick and die, sparking a fierce disagreement with Louie.

Before climbing the sledding hill, Louie recalls fearing a bear as a child that turned out to be a lost jacket.

Louie reaches the top of the sledding hill and finds Nora sitting peacefully with a sleeping Winslow beside her.

Nora finally admits she took Winslow for an early-morning walk and that the donkey never actually escaped on his own.

Nora shouts that everything you get attached to always gets taken away when she hears Winslow must leave Louie's house.

Louie angrily yells at Mrs. Tooley to quiet her baby after the animal control officer demands Winslow's removal.

At Uncle Pete's farm, Louie realizes that Winslow's mother is no longer there because she died giving birth to him.

Louie acknowledges that Winslow would have a vital purpose guarding Uncle Pete's animals and steadily convinces Nora to agree.

Louie and Nora take Winslow on one final walk to the top of the sledding hill before saying their goodbyes.

Louie confidently volunteers to give a lamb its shots at Uncle Pete's farm, putting the skills he learned with Winslow to use.

Louie wakes to moonlight streaming into Gus's bedroom and wonders if the same light is shining on Gus and Winslow too.

Beneath the surface of Louie's mission to save Winslow runs a deeper story of fear, attachment, and hard-won wisdom. A single sound from the dying donkey locks Louie into his mission, while Nora's confession about her lost baby brother explains her guarded distance from the animal. Each setback — a botched injection, a missing donkey, a forced goodbye — pushes both children toward revelations about love and loss. Nora gradually dismantles her defenses, first secretly taking Winslow for a walk, then eventually defending the donkey she swore she would never care about. Louie's optimism matures from naive cheerfulness into something harder and more honest, and his final act of letting Winslow go — and volunteering to give a lamb its shots — proves how much he has grown.