Perfect Picture Book Friday/ The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Hi Friends!

OK, this is going to be short. My sister is visiting from out-of-state and I am talking about my publishing journey tonight at First Friday for Bethesda Writers Center at Leesburg. Yes, I’m nervous. In addition to her visit, I am giving her a family reunion Saturday and on Sunday we go to a high school reunion.  So I will tell you right now; I most likely won’t have time to visit your PPBF sites. Unless of course I do. 🙂

If you have time, check out my page on “About Annie’s Special Day” up on the top bar. Have a great weekend everyone!

Title: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Author/Illustrator: Paul Goble

Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, fiction

Appropriate for: All ages

Resources: Here is a before and after reading discussion guide. : http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/girl-who-loved-wild-horses-discussion-guide:

Here is guide for third graders on basically everything social studies. Videos, horses, nature, Indians and more than ten lesson plans. http://tct.murrieta.k12.ca.us/reading/grade3/core_lit/girl_who_loved_wild_horses/

Here is a very comprehensive lesson plan with writing exercises and an estimated time of 45 minutes. http://new.thesolutionsite.com/solutionsite/data/8651/The%20Girl%20Who%20Loved%20Wild%20Horses.html

Here is uTube video but I think it was read a little too fast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ji0lb9XgUY

What the jacket says: In simple words and brilliant paintings that sweep and stampede across his pages, Paul Goble tells of a Native American girls’ love of horses.

Her people saw that she understood the herd in a special way. The horses would follow her to drink at the river. And in the hot sun she would sleep contentedly beside them as they grazed among flowers near her village.

One day a thunderstorm drove the girl and the horses far from home, and the people were frightened. The girl was lost beneath strange, moonlit cliffs; yet, next morning she was glad, for a beautiful stallion who was the leader of the wild horses welcomed her to live with them.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 1979

An ALA Notable Children’s Book

A NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

One of the Children’s books of the year: chosen by the Library of Congress.

Why I loved it:  I read this children’s book for relaxation and then realized it may make a good pick for PPBF. The illustrations are truly magnificent but the idea of a girl staying with a band of wild horses for over a year boggles the mind. It is definitely a fantasy and one needs to transcend disbelief. For what would she eat? And how would she live during winter? A small child may not ask those questions but then again they might. And the one answer I would have is that Indians know more than we do. Their survival skills are numerous and if they persist one could go on to read other books that would answer these questions. At any rate the book is gorgeous and the story beautiful. I loved pouring over the illustrations and reading the simple text. It reminded me of adult books I have read like The Clan of the Cave Bear, a historical novel by Jean M. Auel about prehistoric times and her other books in the series. Only this was

Providence Atheneum (Photo credit: rockcreek)

a picture book for kids.And Wow, what a book!

I think you will really like this one. 🙂

Please join Susanna at her blog and visit Perfect Picture Books at Susanna’s blog  for lists, one on themes and one that’s alphabetized for easy selection of that perfect book for your child or for your pleasure. All of them have teacher guides and resource guides for easy discussion or class plans.

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