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Books : Mustang CanyonIn association with Amazon.comRating:  - John Ford Country for Little OnesThis is John Ford country for the toddler and early elementary school set. It's a work of sweeping panoramas, flat-topped buttes, massive sculptured rocks, scene-setting long shots, and dramatic close-ups. Illustrator Daniel San Souci highlights his watercolors with pencils to show the golden-touched contours of land and sky, and the unique shadings of the wild horses--the "Mustangs"--that are portrayed here. The young reader or listener will immediately identify with the newborn "Little Pinto." After three weeks, Little Pinto takes his place among the herd of wild horses following their leader "Old White Face." In the tradition of Bambi, we learn at the conclusion that this horse is Pinto's father. Like Bambi's sire, Old White Face is ever-present: He's alert to danger, and protective of the entire herd. Unlike Bambi's father, Old White Face is ever-present.) The book has three core action scenes, and Old White Face has a prominent role in each of them. He battles a "magnificent red-sorrel stallion," as he "screams, lashing out with his sharp hoofs like whip snaps of lightning..." Later, a low-flying place approaches, and Old White Face (remembering that "planes have come before--to round up mustangs,") stands on his hind legs, and warns the other horses. As the horses run off, Little Pinto falls into the rushing river: "He skims off boulders and is swept thrashing around holes in the rapids, haystacks of white powder...all the way to the far side," where he pulls himself out to the relief of his father, Old White Face, and his mother. The powerful images of Jonathan London's non-rhyming, poetry-shaped text but non-rhyming text beautiful complements San Souci's spectacular pictures, all of them 2-page spreads. You can feel the love these two have for their subject, and words and text celebrate their individuality and love of freedom. London (who lives in the beautiful California town of Graton) and Sans Souci (www.danielsancouci.com) include a heartfelt afterward about the origins of the mustangs, as well as a combined glossary and key to different horse breeds. You also gotta love an author who holds an annual "Big Night" (the great film about an Italian restaurant) screening with potluck dishes from the movie. Publisher Candlewick once again sets the standard for production values; this apparently overlooked treasure will appeal to most children, whether horse-lovers or not. Rating:  - For Little Horse LoversIf your child is a horse lover, she is sure to enjoy the lovely illustrations found in this book: wild mustangs galloping through the canyon, Little Pinto being nuzzled by his mother, a fierce encounter between the herd's leader and an intruder stallion. The pictures have more action in them than the plot actually does. There isn't much of a story. What was nice, though, was the glossary of equestrian terms at the back of the book. The author uses "grown-up" words such as "roan" in the story, and the reader can flip to the back to look up the meaning of unfamiliar words. It's a good way for a child to become more educated about basic horse terms. Overall, I'd say this book is a pleasant book with wonderful pictures of the amazing creatures that wild horses are. |
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