Book Review: Album of Horses
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What Parents Should Know
A stimulating read for horse lovers and an introduction to
breeds for the novice, including nonfiction and fiction.
Thoughtful illustrations depict horses at work and play.
Common Sense Media Review
ALBUM OF HORSES may appeal mainly to horse lovers, but for
the uninitiated it is a first-rate introduction to horse
breeds. Not only are the breed profiles fact-filled, but the
author also spins each breed's story with a compelling
narrative that will keep readers hooked.
There are no fact boxes or pull-out quotes, so readers must plow through to the end of each three-page profile in order to get the big picture on each breed. This lack of shortcuts may test some attention spans, but youngsters will be charmed by the full-page illustrations and the margin sketches.
Also, the writing tends to be flowery. One line from "The Percheron" starts, "Young Mark, a lad with a lick of red hair and a freckle-dusted nose ... ." Still, the delightful narrative on the Percheron breed was the favorite tale of one nine-year-old girl, "because it was about a real, live boy and how he loved horses."
The horses' stories are told in terms of their relationships with humans: the burro, "man's wistful companion"; the Thoroughbred, a horse that needs someone to believe in him. The better of the two short stories, "The Routine of Happiness," is a tender tale about an older workhorse that must adjust to its new life after being displaced by a younger animal.
Marguerite Henry also wrote many novels about horses, including Misty of Chincoteague and its sequels. For current or aspiring horse owners, Dorothy Henderson Pinch's Happy Horsemanship and Jessie Haas's Safe Horse, Safe Rider: A Young Rider's Guide to Responsible Horsekeeping are sound introductions to proper horse care, with an emphasis on safety.
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