If You Want to Ride a Horse
by Amy Novesky (Author) Gael Abary (Illustrator)
Carson Ellis' Home meets Carter Higgins' Everything You Need for a Treehouse in this poetic, open-ended testament to the power of imagination, through the prism of horses.
In lovely, lyrical fashion, If You Want to Ride a Horse introduces young readers to the joys of owning, riding, and caring for horses. It only starts with imagination--from there, the possibilities are endless.
Beginning with a daydream, our young rider goes from dreaming about a horse, choosing the ideal kind of horse, meeting the horse, cleaning the horse, tacking up in preparation to ride, soothing their horse through a hard moment, triumphantly getting on, and finally riding gloriously off down the beach.
Is it the best dream ever or a dream come true? It hardly matters: Gael Abary's art makes even the most incredible fantasy feel possible, and award-winning author's Amy Novesky's unforgettable language is an ode to the power of dreams and self-belief to change any young child's life. The book includes an author's note, an illustrator's note, and tantalizing fun facts about horses and horseback riding.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Kirkus
Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with.
None
Back matter goes into greater depth on the subjects of horse colorings and markings, styles of riding, behavior, and equipment, and concludes with personal notes from the horse-loving author and illustrator.
ALA/Booklist
Preschool-Grade 2. You know those horse-obsessed kids who watch Spirit and read Misty of Chincoteague on repeat? This dreamy and instructive book is tailor-made for them.
Publishers Weekly
This love letter to horseback riding offers warm encouragement, even to readers who may not have access to horses. Novesky (Girl on a Motorcycle) welcomes those riding only in their imaginations ("All you have to do is close your eyes") or using someone else's gear ("It's okay to borrow"). Gently urging text provides access to treasured insider jargon ("Might she have stockings or socks? Feathered fetlocks?"), simple tips ("Slip him a peppermint"), and clear instruction ("Settle in the saddle, center, spine to spine"). The "you" the narrator addresses is portrayed as a pale-skinned child with a bowl cut, who starts out drawing a horse, then stands uncertainly in a stable doorway, feet turned inward, before growing comfortable with grooming and riding. In addition to naturalistic, close-up views of the animals themselves, mixed-media spreads by Abary (Crow Spirit) employ printmaking-like textures to detail riding clothing, tack, even a diagram of a quick-release knot. In this passionate introduction to riding, the creators make no apologies for being besotted with horses: "What? Is your heart a wild horse, too?/ A secret: the scent of a barn is a balm." Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"A love letter to horseback riding."—Publishers Weekly
JUV002130 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Horses
JUV032090 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Equestrian
Horses
Horsemanship
