The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

"The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses" won the Caldecott Award in 1978, the most prestigious award for children's illustrated books. As a children's librarian, I am always curious when I first open a Caldecott winner to see if I can readily identify why the book won the award.

Paul Goble is certainly an artist who sees beauty. He sets his story in the days of the Native American ascendancy on the plains. He renders nature in plentitude and colors the most beautiful black I have ever seen. In this Native American fairy tale a horrible black storm sweeps across the plains, frightening the horses into a stampede, carrying the older girl with them. She is what we would now call a horse whisperer.

In the night scene Goble depicts the black of the sky with stars and moon and the black of the high mountains in two shades of black. The horses, outlined in white against the mountains, look like gouache. The scene is stunning.

Goble goes on to have the girl meet a spotted wild stallion, who accepts her and the horses into his herd. By the end of this lovely fantasy, she has become a horse and the stallion's mate. The verdant flowers and rocks and pairings of five sets of animals match the horse pairing. It could happen in a fairy tale.

This story would appeal to any child with a strong artistic sense. Goble paints so much into his story that the visual story can almost stand alone. I know children who would love to "find" all the extras included in the scenery. The artwork is truly extraordinary. This book is highly recommended for ages 5 and up.

When I began reading this story, I could tell right away that I loved it. This is a beautiful, free-spirited tale of a young Native American girl who connects with wild horses on a deep and heartfelt level. One day the girl falls peacefully asleep in a meadow with the wild horses grazing nearby. She is awakened by the crash of thunder and brilliance of lightning, of course all this commotion frightens the horses into a stampede. The girl reacts immediately and jumps onto the back of a horse as they charge out into faraway lands. The girl is now lost from her people and spends her time living among the horses, at which time she actually begins to communicate with the leader of the horses. Although this seems a fantastic scene, we as readers are still willing to believe that this young Native American woman has a deep connection with the creature and can almost speak with it. She is never frightened, lost, or homesick, rather she feels more alive and joyful than ever. The plot thickens as hunters from her village find her among the horses and attempt to bring her back. The horse clan, including the leader stallion who has connected closely with her, protects her as their own and puts up a fight to keep her with them. After a heart-racing escape scene, the girl ends up going back to her village with the hunters. But of course, that is not the end. The girl falls ill and the people of her tribe soon realize she is better where she came from, living with the wild horses. They allow her to return. And thus, at the end of the tale we see not the girl living among the horses, but a NEW beautiful mare, galloping alongside the leader of the horse clan, leading us to believe that in the end she received her only wish of becoming one of the wild horses. This book leaves the reader with a great feeling of joy and uplifting spirit. It is a beautiful piece of work, and highly deserving of the Caldecott Award, 1978.

What I want to focus on about this book is the high quality, truly amazing artwork. I've never seen anything like this anywhere, surely the artist has a style all his own. I won't retell the story but want to also point out that the pictures actually tell the story without even reading the words. My daughter is only six and I read her the story and asked her questions as I read to see if she could predict what would happen next (she uses picture clues.) She answered the questions correctly.

Most of the pages backgrounds are white which is usually "against the rules" but I believe it was for dramatic effect for the blackness on the few pages that deal with the thunderstorm part of the story.

The moral of story of THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES shows us that if we pursue what we truly love long enough and with all our heart we will achieve it. Truly an inspiration, this exceptional book was the winner of the Caldecott Medal for 1979.

Soar!

When I went to school for teaching I chose this book to review for a project where we had to pick one that recieved the art award. I found this book in my local school library. Initially I thought it was a sweet story, but later realized it was probably the art that I loved. Then my professor mentioned that the book might not be ideal because a child might miss the point and find it creepy, a girl loving horses and turning into one, they might think if they love something they will turn into it. Okay educators read into things too much, and yes you could explain to a child after readi g it that it is just pretend, but that being said if a child is unable to understand the point of the story then maybe there is no point in reading it.

I'm back to buy another copy of this book for my 6 year old daughter. We must have received a used one and it has been my daughter's favorite book for quite some time. The spine has fallen apart and my taping job just didn't cut it.

I don't know how to describe this book except to say that the story of love, the mystical connection between humans and animals, and the artistry takes your breath away. I hope this review makes you want to read the book. My daughter has been enchanted by this story.

In The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, Paul Goble combines vibrantartwork and a mature writing style to tell a "coming of age"story. The girl at the center of the story lives in a Native Americanvillage with her family. The girl is known for her love and unique understanding of horses. One day, the girl falls asleep atop a horse as the herd is grazing in the meadow. When a storm blows up the horse carries the girl far away from the village as the herd gallop in fright. The herd of horses takes her in, and she doesn't return to the village until a year later. Upon her return to the family it is clear that the girl will never be happy separated from her beloved horses... Goble's writing style is not typical of many children's books. He uses figurative language that a young child may not necessarily understand. This suggests that the story contains an underlying idea beyond the obvious story of a girl who lives with horses. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is written in a lyrical tone that appeals to adults while the subject matter and magical elements of the story appeal to children. Goble uses personification when he describes the "angry storm." Also metaphors can be found throughout the book; "[the horses] swept like a brown flood across hills and through valleys." Goble's use of language is in some ways aimed at adults which insinuates that he has included theme that also appeals to adults. Goble's Native American tale is clearly written about a young girl's passage from childhood to adulthood. The storm that causes the girl's initial separation from the village symbolizes the emotional strain and possible hard times that can come with leaving home for the first time. The herd of horses is the modern society that eventually forces all children to grow up and set out on their own. The girl's final transformation from human to horse represents a complete passage from child to adult. When the girl is taken in by the horses she no longer needs her family, she still, however, relies on the horses for elements such as protection. Only when the girl actually becomes a horse does she experiences true freedom. She no longer relies on anyone but herself. Self reliance in this case is the ultimate sign of adulthood. This Native American tale intrigues me and the pictures are incredible but I must disagree with one element of Goble's story. When the girl leaves the safety of the village she is rescued by the strong, proud, handsome stallion. She seems to stay with the stallion, obviously a strong male role, throughout the story. This seems to weaken the idea of self-reliance, and perhaps suggest that the girl will always need the stallion.

Paul Goble transcends perfection. Any artist, or anyone who loves art, will want to look at this book again and again...
Simon & Schuster recommends the book for ages 5 to 8, but any child approaching or in his or her early teens would be enchanted by the simplicity of the artwork and the way it so powerfully conveys the story the words tell. Even adults will enjoy this poetic picture book.

Tova Beck paints with watercolors in a manner so lovely, so delicate, you'd guess she'd been painting for decades. At age 14, she and her Mother, Mimmi Beck, have created a wonderful book that would make Auduban proud. A sweet, informative story, The Girl Who Draws Birds is a book for any nature lover-child or adult!

Though there may be a misleading message in this book, I would recommend this book to any child who reads this with discernment. Discernment is very important here! This is a great book for parents and children to read together, and they can discuss the message after.
A Native American girl loves horses so much; she spends all her time with them. She takes care of them, and nurtures them as if they were her very own family. One day, she grows tired and falls asleep near the horses while a storm is brewing. A clap of thunder shakes her out of her sleep, and she and the horses take off. They ignore her pleas for them to stop, and continue running away. When the storm ends, a spotted stallion welcomes her to stay with them, a family of wild horses. She happily agrees, though a search team from her tribe is searching for her and the horses. When they are finally spotted, she and the horses run off again until one horse trips on a stone. She is caught. She comes home to be with her tribe, and she grows sadder every day. She's faced with a choice: Return to be with the wild horses, or give up her childhood dream? The Native American artwork in this book is stunningly beautiful, and the storyline is well developed.
The basic message is to pursue our dreams no matter what. After I read this book, I was empowered, but soon a question lingered in my mind: Could a whimsical little girl take this story too far, and dream of perhaps running away from home, just like the girl and the wild horses? It's so easy to take this message out of context, so discernment is very important in this book. Perhaps the author could have been more careful.

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is about a young girl who struggles to find a friend in her tribe but finds herself to be very close with the wild horses that graze near her tribe. One day a thunderstorm comes and scares the wild horses off and she feels lost. The leader of the wild horses comes to her one night and asks if she wants to be one of them and she excitedly answers yes leaving her home and family behind her. Many children can relate to this book if they feel as though they have no one to confide in but there pets or different animals. Kids that are socially impaired would benefit from reading this book along with any child who has an interest in reading a good book.

I have to argee with a previous reviewer who commented on the weakness of the narrative voice in _The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses_: it is just too distant and does not draw children in as many other stories do. Graphically it has a Native American "feel" to it, which helps the weak writing, which is why I gave it 4 stars. A better collection of Native stories is Joseph Bruhac's _Dog People: Native Dog Stories_.

Halfway into the story, my kids asked if we could read something else. I suspect this may be a book that appeals more to adults than to children. The art work is beautiful and the plot worthwhile, but the narrative voice is so distant and emotionless--I expect that is probably what turned my kids off. The girl, the tribe, and the animals don't have names. The piece reads like a prologue rather than a story.

Halfway into the story, my kids asked if we could read something else. I suspect this may be a book that appeals more to adults than to children. The art work is beautiful and the plot worthwhile, but the narrative voice is so distant and emotionless--I expect that is probably what turned my kids off. The girl, the tribe, and the animals don't have names. The piece reads like a prologue rather than a story.

My daughter and I just love this book. The illustrations are simply beautiful and the story is enchanting. This was one of the first books my daughter read by herself. We have read almost all of his wonderful books.

The book I read is called The girl who loved wild horses. The girl who loved wild horses is for younger children under 8. It is about a girl that lived with wild horses. In a terrible storm the horses get scared and run away into the wild horse country. Since she does not know the way home how will she survive? I would give this book 3 stars.

Is Paul Goble's The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses one of your favorite books? It won the Caldecott Medal thirty-five years ago, but let's take a look at it to see if we'd use it today, when one of the criteria for books about American Indians is whether or not it names a specific tribe.

Here's the first paragraph in the story:

"The people were always moving from place to place following the herds of buffalo. They had many horses to carry the tipis and all their belongings. They trained their fastest horses to hunt the buffalo."

With the word 'tipis' in that paragraph Goble suggests that these are Plains people. The buffalo are another clue that suggests the story is one belonging to the Plains tribes.

As the story begins, we learn of "a girl" (we are never given her name) who loved horses. People in the village see that she has a way with them. One day when she is out with the herd of horses, a huge storm erupts. She leaps onto one as the herd races in fear. When the horses stop that night, the girl looks around and realizes that they are lost. The next morning she wakes to the neighing of a handsome stallion who tells her he is the leader of the wild horses that roam the hills. He welcomes her to live with them. She and her herd are happy.

Meanwhile, her people spend the next year looking for her. One day, two hunters see the stallion and the girl, too. She's on a horse, leading a colt. They call and wave at her. She waved back, but the stallion drove her and the herd away from the hunters. Other men join them in an attempt to reach the girl, but the stallion keeps them away from the girl and the colt. But, the girl's horse stumbles, and she falls. The hunters take her back to the village. She was happy to see her parents but she is sad. She misses the colt and the wild horses. At night, the stallion calls to her. The girl is lonely and gets sick. Doctors ask what would make her happy again, and she says she wants to return to the wild horses.

The stallion and wild horses come to the village. The people give the horses blankets and saddles and they give the girl a beautiful dress and the best horse in the village. The girl gives her parents a colt, and she rides away, beside the stallion, reunited with the herd. Each year, she brings her parents another colt. But one year, she doesn't return at all.

Then, the hunters see the stallion again. Beside him is "a beautiful mare with a mane and tail floating with wispy clouds about her." They believe the girl is that mare, that she has become a wild horse, too. The story ends with:

"Today we are still glad to remember that we have relatives among the Horse People. And it gives us joy to see the wild horses running free. Our thoughts fly with them."

Nowhere in The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses do we have any sources for that story. As noted earlier, Goble's use of 'tipis' suggests a Plains tribe. What we know as the Great Plains is a vast area, stretching from north to south, about 1500 miles. In that area are a lot of tribes. They don't speak the same language and they don't tell the same stories.

The question is, who does this story about a girl who became a wild horse belong to? It'd be good to know. If it is a story Goble came up with, then it isn't a Native story, is it?

Though it won the Caldecott, and though a lot of people love Goble's art, I think it is (past) time to set aside The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. What do you think?