Horse

by Malachy Doyle, Angelo Rinaldi (Illustrator)

Overview

Follow one little foal as he grows into a magnificent horse! From learning to stand on wobbly legs to napping in the sunshine and trotting around the field with his mother, he changes as the seasons pass. By springtime he has grown big and strong.

Set against lush green fields and picturesque skies, this touching portrait of a mare and her foal is perfect for all horse fans!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416924678
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	06/17/2008
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 11.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Malachy Doyle, who himself has ten brothers and sisters, is the author of many books, including Cow, illustrated by Angelo Rinaldi. He lives in North Wales with his family.

Angelo Rinaldi is the illustrator of Cow by Malachy Doyle. He grew up in Wales and now lives with his family in London.

Editorial Reviews

As in their previous pairing for Cow, Doyle and Rinaldi offer a spare text and panoramic paintings to describe the life of a farm animal. The illustrations in this oversize book are stunning as they depict the seasons, from the mare waiting for her foal to be born until the following spring, when a girl "puts a head collar over [the yearling's] warm, silken nose" and dreams of riding him "over the hill and all the way to the sea." The photo-realistic oil paintings of the countryside are drenched in sunlight, awash with billowing, John Constable clouds, and startling in their rendering of the sparkling snow; the book tells as much about the beauty of ever-changing nature as it does about horses. The quiet text, only a sentence or two per page, adds to the book's serene tone, giving readers more time to peruse the elegant paintings. Ages 5-9. (June)

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Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2- Doyle and Rinaldi briefly describe, in simple text and handsome artwork, the springtime birth of a foal and his first year of growth, culminating on a fine morning a year later when his young owner slips a bridle over his head and leads him quietly around the field for the first time. The stunning double-page oil paintings cover every inch of space, showing farm fields, barn stall, and paddock as well as the human and equine characters. Several illustrations are so realistic that they appear to be painted-over photographs. Like Cow (S & S, 2002), Horse is a beautifully rendered, loving introduction to a familiar animal.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

Similar in look and feel to the duo's well-received Cow (2002), this offering follows a foal from his dam's patient waiting, through his birth and first romp in spring pasture, his furry-coated winter and, finally, the day he's first haltered and his training begins. The subject matter allows for a more human-oriented story line than Cow-the young horse's also-young owner, a girl, appears as he gets ready for training-but the same pastoral realism prevails. Rinaldi's lush, photorealistic oil paintings convey emotion and movement and get all the details right-including, hooray, riders depicted in appropriate safety equipment. A beautiful book for equine lovers of all ages, storytime and up. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews