H is for Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet (Sports Alphabet)

H is for Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet (Sports Alphabet)

In the style and format of our alphabet books comes "H is for Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet". From basics such as mucking out the stall and how to judge a horse's qualities to historical facts on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mike Ulmer relays the fun and fundamentals of the world of horses. Lush, detailed paintings by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen, whose work "School Library Journal" has described as 'luminous,' capture the beauty and magnificence of these creatures. Grade 3-6–Lovely painterly illustrations can not redeem this unevenly presented alphabet book. A seemingly random potluck of equestrian terms is drawn upon for each letter of the alphabet. The letter "D" is for the direction a rider takes his horse, "E" refers to horses' ears, and "F" is represented by a farrier. The text introduces each letter and term in a sometimes rhyming paragraph. Then additional information related to the equine word and others beginning with the highlighted letter is offset in smaller typeface on the same or opposite page. Readers interested in learning more about horses, their care, and riding would be much better served by the many straightforward, quality nonfiction titles available. Although the strong graphic content and high-interest subject will initially entice children, this book ultimately disappoints. –Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Mike lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with his family. Mike writes a sports column for the Toronto Sun newspaper. Among Mike's books are M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet and H is for Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet . Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen was born in the Netherlands in 1951. With his seven brothers and sisters, he grew up exploring nature and his sketch pads were filled with observations from those family outings. Always drawing as a young boy, his father encouraged Gijsbert to make art his career. After high school, he attended and graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Arnhem, Holland. Gijsbert, or "Mr. Nick" as many children affectionately call him during his school visits, immigrated to the United States in 1976 and worked as Art Director for the Michigan Natural Resources Magazine for 17 years. In 1995, he illustrated his first children's book, The Legend of Sleeping Bear , finally fullfilling his dream of illustrating children's books. Residing in Bath, Michigan, Nick and his family share their 40-acre farm with sheep, horses, dogs, cats, turkeys, rabbits, chickens, pigeons and a revolving door of orphaned and injured wild life. The family's nature journals logged 20 years of wild life rehabilitation on the farm and it is through these journals that the popular Hazel Ridge series was created. The farm, the land and the animals make great subjects for the artist to paint. Mr. Nick travels to schools and conferences to share his passion for drawing—encouraging kids to make their hobby their career. Used Book in Good Condition