If You Want to Ride a Horse

by Amy Novesky, Gael Abary (Illustrator)

Overview

Carson Ellis' Home meets Carter Higgins' Everything You Need for a Treehouse in this poetic, open-ended testament to the power of imagination, through the prism of horses.

In lovely, lyrical fashion, If You Want to Ride a Horse introduces young readers to the joys of owning, riding, and caring for horses. It only starts with imagination—from there, the possibilities are endless.

Beginning with a daydream, our young rider goes from dreaming about a horse, choosing the ideal kind of horse, meeting the horse, cleaning the horse, tacking up in preparation to ride, soothing their horse through a hard moment, triumphantly getting on, and finally riding gloriously off down the beach.

Is it the best dream ever or a dream come true? It hardly matters: Gael Abary’s art makes even the most incredible fantasy feel possible, and award-winning author’s Amy Novesky’s unforgettable language is an ode to the power of dreams and self-belief to change any young child’s life. 

The book includes an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, and tantalizing fun facts about horses and horseback riding.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823457564
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Amy Novesky is an award-winning author and book editor. Her picture books include GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE; CLOTH LULLABY, THE WOVEN LIFE OF LOUISE BOURGEOIS; ME, FRIDA; MARY BLAIR’S UNIQUE FLAIR; GEORGIA IN HAWAII; IMOGEN, THE MOTHER OF MODERNISM AND THREE BOYS; MISTER AND LADY DAY; ELEPHANT PRINCE; and LOVE IS A TUTU and LOVE IS A TRUCK. 

Amy began making books at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Twenty-five years and hundreds of books later, she has worked with authors, agents, packagers, publishers, book stores, toy companies, and film studios, including Creative Editions, Disney Press, Ever After Studio, Harcourt, National Geographic Kids, Paper Hat Press, Pixar, and Princeton Architectural Press. Currently, Amy is the Editorial Director for Cameron Kids, a division of Abrams Books.

Gael Abary is a Filipino American illustrator living in Kailua, Hawaii with her partner, their daughter, a cat called Stella, and a retired racing greyhound called Storm. She is also the illustrator of Crow Spirit, written by Debra Bartsch.

Editorial Reviews

12/18/2023

This love letter to horseback riding offers warm encouragement, even to readers who may not have access to horses. Novesky (Girl on a Motorcycle) welcomes those riding only in their imaginations (“All you have to do is close your eyes”) or using someone else’s gear (“It’s okay to borrow”). Gently urging text provides access to treasured insider jargon (“Might she have stockings or socks? Feathered fetlocks?”), simple tips (“Slip him a peppermint”), and clear instruction (“Settle in the saddle, center, spine to spine”). The “you” the narrator addresses is portrayed as a pale-skinned child with a bowl cut, who starts out drawing a horse, then stands uncertainly in a stable doorway, feet turned inward, before growing comfortable with grooming and riding. In addition to naturalistic, close-up views of the animals themselves, mixed-media spreads by Abary (Crow Spirit) employ printmaking-like textures to detail riding clothing, tack, even a diagram of a quick-release knot. In this passionate introduction to riding, the creators make no apologies for being besotted with horses: “What? Is your heart a wild horse, too?/ A secret: the scent of a barn is a balm.” Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★  "Novesky’s fanciful lyricism teeters on the right side of informed infatuation and continues her trend of crafting adventurous protagonists. . . A terrific addition to all  collections and an absolute must for equine enthusiasts."—Booklist, Starred Review

"A love letter to horseback riding."—Publishers Weekly
 
"Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with."—Kirkus Reviews

"Although the text covers many of the topics explored in introductory horse books, the dreamlike nature of this gentle, occasionally rhyming picture book allows expansion into related areas. . . The speckled mixed-media illustrations in muted tones of rose, peach, and champagne extend the imaginative atmosphere. . ."—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2023-12-06
Climb into the saddle of your imagination.

So you want to ride a horse? Who doesn’t! It’s really quite simple. All you have to do, advises this lovely book that proceeds at the rhythm of a gentle trot, is close your eyes and visualize the horse of your dreams. Think about your horse’s coloring, markings, shoes, and mane—braided or not? Then think of a name. The name’s important because you’ll want to call that horse of yours so you can go for a ride. If you’re ever so lucky, your steed will love you and greet you with “a nicker, a lick, a nudge” and “rest his splendid head on you.” Oh, and don’t forget to “slip him a peppermint,” which you should always carry in your pocket. The text proceeds with suggestions about how to groom horses and keep them clean and how to ride them carefully, safely, and joyously—if only in your mind’s eye. Readers who were already lovers of these gorgeous, wonderful creatures will find their fancies galloping away in delight. Others may well become instant equine converts as they pick up horse lore and facts aplenty and may eagerly trot toward other titles to learn more about their new favorite animals. The soft mixed-media illustrations suggest a landscape of the imagination with their muted palette.

Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with. (information on horses, photos, author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews