Gifts for Horse Lovers: Books About Horses

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 10, 2010

This is our “Horse Lovers” fictional book list, hand selected for young horse enthusiasts.

An excerpt from My Pony by Susan Jeffers:

I want a pony.
I want a pony more than anything in the world.

Dust Devil
by Anne Isaacs (Author), Paul Zelinsky (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 5-9

Hardcover: 48 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (September 14, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: Here is the thrilling, thigh-slapping companion to Swamp Angel, the beloved Caldecott Honor–winning picture book.

Swamp Angel has a reputation as the greatest woodswoman and wildest wildcat in all of Tennessee. But when she grows too big for that state, she moves to Montana, a place so sizeable, even Angel can fit in. It’s there that she wrestles a raging storm to the ground and, at its center, finds herself a sidekick—a horse she names Dust Devil. And when Backward Bart, the orneriest, ugliest outlaw ever known, starts terrorizing the prairie, seems like Angel and Dust Devil may be the only ones strong enough to stop him.

Children will be captivated by the beauty and exaggerated humor of Paul Zelinsky’s American primitive–style paintings and the wit and energy of Anne Isaacs’s unparalleled storytelling. Here is an original folktale starring an extraordinary gal who is as feisty as she is funny and as courageous as she is kind.

Add this book to your collection: Dust Devil

Black Beauty

by Sharon Lerner (Author), Susan Jeffers (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 6-8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 22, 2009)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: A stunning picture-book introduction to the first famous fictional horse!

Anna Sewell’s classic Black Beauty comes vividly to life in this 40-page picture-book adaptation by Sharon Lerner. Follow the famous stallion as he meets many masters, from Squire Gordon, whose wife Black Beauty saves nearly at the cost of his own life; to the cruel Nicholas Skinner, who drives horses to death; and finally to a reunion with Joe, the kind groom he knew as a colt. Caldecott Award winner Susan Jeffers illustrates this beloved tale with lush watercolor drawings guaranteed to delight and enchant children.

Add this book to your collection: Black Beauty

Hush, Little Horsie

by Jane Yolen (Author), Ruth Sanderson (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 2-5

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 28, 2010)

Source of book: Publicist

Publisher’s synopsis:

Hush, little horsie,
Asleep on the moor.
Your mama is close—
That’s what mamas are for.

Mama horses around the world promise to watch over their little ones as the foals frolic and play and eventually fall asleep in this soothing bedtime story. Young horse lovers will drift off with Ruth Sanderson’s stunning horses in their minds and the promise of their own parents’ enduring love in their hearts.

Award-winning author Jane Yolen has written the New York Times bestselling How Do Dinosaurs . . . series and Owl Moon, winner of the Caldecott Medal. In Hush, Little Horsie, she has dreamed up a lovely rhyming read-aloud for a mother and child to snuggle up with.

This gorgeous picture book is perfect for horse lovers big and small—and for mothers in need of a good bedtime story.

Add this book to your collection: Hush, Little Horsie

My Pony

by Susan Jeffers

Reading level: All Ages

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 27, 2008)

Source of book: Library

Publisher’s synopsis: I want a pony.

A little girl who longs for a pony draws pictures of a dappled mare she names Silver, then rides her through a magical countryside in her dreams. At the heart of Susan Jeffers’s exquisite picture book lies the idea that in her imagination, a child can journey anywhere and do anything— even fly through the stars on her very own pony…

Add this book to your collection: My Pony

The Pony Whisperer: The Word on the Yard

by Janet Rising

Reading level: Ages 8-12

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; 1 edition (June 1, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: Pia has always told her pony everything…but now he’s talking back!

It’s hard being the new girl in town-new school, new stable, new rivalries. It seems Pia’s only friend is her pony, Drummer. But horses can’t talk…can they?

Suddenly, all the horses are talking-to Pia! Now she can understand Drummer, and does he have a lot to say! Who knew this sweet-looking horse would have such an attitude. When news of Pia’s pony-whispering power spreads, her popularity grows and she finally feels like she belongs…that’s when everything starts to go wrong.

Add this book to your collection: The Pony Whisperer: The Word on the Yard

Horse Diaries: Koda

by Patricia Hermes

Reading level: Ages 8-12

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (October 27, 2009)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story . . .

Independence, Missouri, 1846

Koda is a bay quarter horse with a white blaze. He loves to explore the countryside and run free with his human friend Jasmine nearby. But after Koda sets out with Jasmine’s family on a long and dusty wagon train journey on the Oregon Trail, he finds out what is truly important to him. Here is Koda’s story . . . in his own words.

With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout—both by real horse people—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!

Add this book to your collection: Horse Diaries: Koda

Classic Horse Stories

Christina Darling (Compiler)

Reading level: Ages 9 and up

Hardcover: 148 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 11, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: From Black Beauty to Pegasus, few animals inspire as much devotion and delight as horses. This collection has something for the horse-lover in everyone, including favorite horses in fiction, true stories of real horses, and a guide to grooming them. Featuring excerpts by beloved writers, these classically illustrated stories and poems are sure to charm readers and riders of all ages.

Add this book to your collection: Classic Horse Stories

Pony Scouts: Pony Crazy (I Can Read Book 2)

by Catherine Hapka (Author), Anne Kennedy (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (February 16, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Publisher’s synopsis: Meg has pony books, pony toys, and pony clothes. And on her first day at a new school, Meg meets two girls who are as pony crazy as she is!

Add this book to your collection: Pony Scouts: Pony Crazy (I Can Read Book 2)