Ride with Me by Jane Tanner
And you were wondering when I would get around to some books for young children.
Ride with me is a wonderfully presented picture book that is sure to attract the attention of all those girls who long for a horse of their own, and this starts very young. (My parents moved from a city to a farm when I was in grade 1 because I and my younger sister were nagging about getting a pony.) The illustrations are all of a lovely white horse and a girl who befriends it and gradually gentles it to ride. Mostly the illustrations are shades of grey or blue and simply lovely.
When you read the story, though, there is a darker and sadder backstory. The horse once belonged to the girl’s mother who has recently and suddenly died. Both the horse and the girl are grieving independently. The horse is becoming timid and wild, the girl is sad and withdrawn. But for her mother’s sake she tries to communicate with the horse.
This isn’t quite The Horse Whisperer, but it is a picture story book. The story needs to be told in under 30 pages and less than 500 words. The surprising thing is that it works. The very simplicity of the tale and the illustrations draw you in.
I can see this as a favourite book for a few littlies
