Gr 1-3 Farley has undertaken another adaptation of his perpetually popular book, this time for readers not yet ready to tackle his The Black Stallion Picture Book (Random, 1979). This version is based on the ``Wild horse rescues boy'' segment of both the original story and the 1979 movie tie-in, from which a few sentences are repeated word-for-word. Writing in a bare-bones primer style, the author has pared down the adventures of Alec and the Black to a basic plot. Short, simple sentences describe the shipwreck, the struggle to survive, and the rescue that are already familiar to the millions of children who have seen the movie. Although the text is unremarkable, the illustrations succeed in recapturing the thrills of the ultimate child/horse fantasy. Drawing in pen-and-ink with a watercolor wash, Rabinowitz portrays the Black stallion as an exquisite, long-legged Arabian, with a strong resemblance to the real-life equine star, ``Cass Ole.'' Double-page spreads alternate with single-page illustrations, and they serve to convey the story independent of the text. Combined with the obvious appeal of the subject, the effective artwork makes this book a sure-fire winner for young horse fanciers. Charlene Strickland, Los Angeles County Public Library, Valencia
The lucky Chinese Year of the Horse begins today, which has our thoughts turning to equines—a popular subject among many book lovers. As a child growing up in a city, my experience with horses was limited to books, Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers, and the occasional school field trip to a farm. But despite this minimal […]
There is an undeniably tight bond between man and animal. For instance, I can’t discuss the day my dog died without getting misty and pretending I have something in my eye—and it happened 12 years ago. But ours was just a normal life together, full of normal dog-person love. It was nothing like the devotion […]
The only problem with this list is that I had to narrow down the choices. Sticking to Marvel and DC Comics alone, I could easily come up with 20 objects that I need right this second, starting with an Infinity Stone to control time to do everything that I need to do and ending with […]
It’s the question that defines us as readers of science fiction and fantasy: when you pick up a new book, do you prefer a story that stands alone, or one that is part of a series? There’s no easy answer—and no right or wrong one, either. That’s why we asked two of our bloggers, Aidan […]