Snow Horses: A First Night Story

by Patricia MacLachlan, Micha Archer (Illustrator)

Overview

From Newbery Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan comes a cozy picture book of love, light, and community during New Year’s and taking the past with us as we step into the future, brought to life with tender and intricate cut paper illustrations.

On the very last evening before the new year, when the snow is falling soft and thick, two black horses wait for the jingle of their sled. As they ride about town, they will spread light to their beloved neighbors, bidding farewell to the last night—and saying hello to the first morning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534473553
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	11/08/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	196,385
Product dimensions:	11.30(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan (1938–2022) was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb’s Story; Edward’s Eyes; The True Gift; Waiting for the Magic; White Fur Flying; Fly Away; and Snow Horses. She lived in western Massachusetts.

Micha Archer illustrated The Wise Fool, Lola’s Fandango, Prairie Days, and Snow Horses, and wrote and illustrated Daniel Finds a Poem. Working in collage and oil, her use of color and pattern is influenced by the folk art, crafts, and architecture of the countries she has visited and lived in. She realized the importance of the book as a teaching tool after teaching kindergarten and raising two children. Micha divides her time between Costa Rica and western Massachusetts, where she lives in the house she and her husband built, surrounded by gardens and forest to roam in.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/03/2022

Evocative artwork and gentle prose from the creators of Prairie Days distinguish this intergenerational tale about a community that celebrates the last night of the year with sleigh rides for young and old. Tim and Tom, the black Percheron horses who pull the sleigh, “love winter./ They love the snow.” Young Jenny, a child portrayed with brown skin, hitches them up, then takes the reins as “sleigh bells sing.” Archer shows a bird’s-eye view of the sleigh crossing a snowy field, a final splash of sunset splendor across the horizon behind them. The community’s children and adults, portrayed with varied skin tones, appear amid lacy ink and paper-collage landscapes rich with patterns and warm hues. First, the children ride through the sparkling town before bed; then, “grandmothers,/ grandfathers,/ aunts and uncles,/ and longtime friends” take a turn, remembering their own youths. Text by the late MacLachlan captures incidents others might miss (“A little golden dog comes out to run alongside/ the horses—a beacon in the dark”), and the rhythm of the lines lulls while conveying pleasure and excitement. It’s a celebratory winter story that many can share. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2022

Gr 1–3—The late, great MacLachlan offers a quiet pastoral celebration of New Year's Eve. It is the last night of the year and Tim and Tom, two Percheron horses with gleaming black coats, are excited to be a part of the celebration. First, they head to the market where they pull children around the town in a colorful sleigh. Then, they head to the manor house where they pull grandparents, aunts, uncles, and old friends through the snowy fields. The children and adults are varying skin colors, and one woman is shown wearing a hijab. The blue-hued illustrations transport readers into serene scenery filled with snow. While each scene is washed in cool tones, the lights in the illustrations seem to glow. The details of the collage illustrations are fabulously detailed and intricate, with the clothing on the characters showing many unique patterns. The lacy paper details as snow on the trees are particularly beautiful. VERDICT A sweet, careful book. For communities seeking a unique take on New Year's Eve.—V. Lynn Christiansen

School Library Journal

★ 2022-08-17
A young woman harnesses two Percheron horses for a magical sleigh ride on New Year’s Eve.

Archer’s signature scenes set the mood with snowy fields dotted with groupings of trees; an illustration of one of the trees features graceful limbs encircled with collaged images of music notes. Readers follow sheep and Jenny into the barn at dusk as she leads the strong, black horses to the sleigh, attaches bells to their bridles, and turns on the lights outlining four rows of seats. MacLachlan, deftly crafting her narrative with a minimum of well-chosen words, provides the sensory details. Text is presented in blocks of free verse: “The breaths of Tim and / Tom make silver clouds. / The sleigh makes a / whisper sound in the / snow—a comforting / swish, swish, swish.” En route, the vehicle gathers children, some of whom trumpet their excitement from a front porch before hopping aboard. When their turn is over, the elders get a ride, laughing and talking, remembering their own childhood snow play, presented in a sequence of vignettes. Changes in light and perspective maintain interest, as do the patterns of the snowflakes and the starbursts glowing from streetlamps. The warm palette and bold designs of the papers used to depict fabric and floor planks contrast beautifully with the smooth coolness of the wintry landscape. Jenny is brown-skinned; the other characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A quiet, deeply satisfying celebration of the turn of the year and the joy of community. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews