My Kingdom for a Horse: An Anthology of Poems About Horses - Hardcover

Betty Ann Schwartz fell in love with horses when she took her first pony ride as a child. She was a children's book editor for many years and now works as a freelance writer. Ms. Schwartz lives with her husband in New York City.

Alix Berenzy has illustrated several other books about animals, including Home at Last and Into the Sea. She is also the author and illustrator of two adapted fairy tales, A Frog Prince and Rapunzel. Ms. Berenzy lives in Benton, Philadelphia.

Gr 1-4-Horses are celebrated here in a variety of functions and environments. The mostly brief, one-page poems cover everything from racing horses to police mounts. There are poems about children on merry-go-rounds, a young girl performing stunts on a horse at the circus, a foal at its mother's side, and a Lakota warrior riding away from his enemies. The poets include Walt Whitman, Jack Prelutsky, Robert Frost, Christina Rossetti, Navajo Indians, and William Shakespeare. What really makes this anthology stand out are the impressionistic illustrations. Working in pastels and pencils, the artist has created soft-focus images with small dots and patches of color. Indeed, a scene of racehorses is reminiscent of the work of Edgar Degas. The pictures, both in color and black and white, are a perfect companion to the printed word and genuinely bring the selections to life. Buy this book for the poetry or the illustrations, or both, and readers will not be disappointed.

Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH

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