I've been a bit busy the last few days but am not going to let these reads skip out. So, I have two postings for today...one for yesterday and one for today. Both a little late but not forgotten.
Today's read heads into the nonfiction realm (yay!) and takes a look at horses. It's a fully illustrated read, so I do hope each horse breed is recognizable. I'm also curious how the horse information is going to be brought across...and what type of information is included.
So, go get all horse fans because this one should capture their attention...or that's what I'm hoping will happen. Let's open it up and find out!
WHY ARE HORSES
An Illustrated History of Horse Breeds
by Brittany Long Olsen
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Middle Grade Nonfiction
96 pages
ages 9 to 12
COMING OCTOBER 20th!!!
Ever wonder why Thoroughbreds are so fast or why Miniature Horses make great guides? Discover the history of 30+ horse breeds in this nonfiction book for kids, complete with comic panels and illustrations!
Why are Shetland ponies so small? Why are there so many horses in Mongolia? Why are Andalusians movie stars?
For hundreds of years, humans have been breeding horses and working alongside them, using them for everything from farm work, warfare, transportation, to sports. In this illustrated nonfiction book that combines comic panels, illustrations, diagrams, and text, readers will learn about the stories behind over 30 of the most popular horse breeds around the world and why they look and act the way they do. Discover the origins of Arabians, Thoroughbreds, American Paint Horse, and so much more!
Why Are Horses includes:
- 30+ horse breeds with origins from around the globe
- Diagrams showing each breed's unique features
- Comic panels that add humor and narrative
- Information that makes it a great classroom and library resource
Saddle up and discover the fascinating facts behind your favorite four-legged friends!
MY TIDBITS
Horses, horses, and more horses pack every page along with a vast amount of information to make horse fans' hearts trot faster.
This book is all about horses and especially takes a look at over thirty different breeds. It begins with an introduction to the history of horses, the various roles they've played, and how their relationship with humans developed. Then, the book dives into each breed, revealing their origins, purpose, facts, and other various information to give a very rounded look at each one. At the end, there is a glossary of terms as well.
Everything about this book centers on horses and takes a close look at each breed. Four or more pages are given to each one, allowing plenty of space for the facts to unfold. Each one begins with the history of the breed before going into other information surrounding famous horses, roles they played in different situations, interesting facts, and more. To keep all of this information more digestible, each theme is placed in its own block of text with fitting illustrations. It carries slight nods to a graphic novel style but only loosely. The lean in this direction helps to keep things organized and allows readers to pick and choose the information. There's also a bit of humor added to keep everything relaxed and enjoyable. The illustrations bring across the breeds nicely and are similar enough to be recognized. Plus, they add variations in the coloring, as applicable, to help readers see realize the variety within each breed. There's also a diagram for each one, which highlights each breeds features. So, there's a lot of information packed inside these pages.
This is just right for middle grade readers and is a book which can be picked up as desired instead of being read all at once. I do wish there was a Table of Contents to help locate each breed easily, but that's my only small criticism. Otherwise, this is a book horse fans will really enjoy.
And here she is...
Brittany Long Olsen is a cartoonist and illustrator with a deep love of storytelling through comics. Her previous graphic novels for young readers include Magic in the Valley and The Happy Shop. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her partner and their Australian Shepherd mix named Jetpack.
