If I Was a Horse written by two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall is a visual and storytelling treat. This delightful story is told by a horse--- a horse that thinks like a child! The child uses the horse to state various questions and situations important to her such as what to eat, when to roll in the mud, and when to take a bath. Blackall beautifully captures the child’s mind.
“If I was a horse, I’d stay up late. I’d sleep standing up, and I’d dream great galloping dreams.”
The illustrations, created with digital media as well as with watercolor, gouache, pencil, and wallpaper capture the visual feel of Farmhouse, Blackall’s last picture book and one of my favorites.
In this picture book, however, the huge size of the horse in contrast to the normal size of the little girl brings laughter to such scenes as the horse trying to move its body up and down the skinny stairways and trying to sleep standing up in a very small bed. The spread that pictures the horse in the bathroom where it is requested to take a bath in a small tub stocked with soap, a nail brush, a toy duck, and a big roll of unwinding toilet paper is full of fun.
If I Was a Horse written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall will be enjoyed by children 4-8 years of age as they hear the child speaking as a horse! (Little, Brown and Company) 2023.
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Activity Questions for If I Was a Horse
Older readers: Turn to the final illustration in this book. Study the expression on the face of both the young girl and her mother. How do you think they each feel? Why? What is the little girl holding in her hand? Why? Give this illustration a title---it can be a serious title or a playful one.
Younger children: There are many fun-filled illustrations in this book. Look through each page of this book and try to find the following items:
a swing set, a party hat, a blue umbrella, a grill, a toaster, a horn, a blue bathing suit, a scooter, a wheelchair, a skate board, and a back pack. Take your time and hunt and find!
