My First Horse and Pony Book

K-Gr 3 -With a format that is appealing and well organized, this informative guide covers the basics about horses and ponies, including physical characteristics, care and feeding, grooming, and stabling. After discussing proper clothing and -tacking up, - the author takes a look at English and Western riding. Colorful photos show a diverse group of children -with some assistance from adults -demonstrating the complexities of horsemanship. The age of the youngsters depicted is appropriate for the volume's target audience. The photos are excellent -bright and clear -and precisely illustrate what the text is describing. The book is packed with helpful hints and ideas, and boxed sections present useful tidbits, such as explaining what a -kind eye - is or what a -hand - means in equestrian terminology. Sandy Ransford's "The Kingfisher Illustrated Horse and Pony Encyclopedia" (Kingfisher, 2004) is much more comprehensive, but Draper's offering is right on target for the younger horse set." -Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA" Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.