Custer - Softcover

King, Deborah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099745704 ISBN 13: 9780099745709

Publisher: Random House UK, 1993

Synopsis

Custer, a horse whose only friends growing up were cows, is reluctant to act like a horse at his new riding school until he meets a wild filly named Minto

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

The author-illustrator of Cloudy here presents a gentle, fact-based tale of friendship and selfhood. Custer is a colt, the son of the finest stallion in the county. But he has no ambition to rise to his heritage, preferring instead to roam the countryside with the cattle--"he thought he was a cow, and he had been very happy being a cow and didn't want to be a horse at all." When he's sold to a riding school, he languishes, pining for his bovine companions. Even after he is taken to live on a seaside farm, Custer feels no sense of belonging. But the colt's life changes when he befriends Minto, a wild mare brought to the farm. Through their growing friendship, the terrified mare learns to trust others and Custer learns to run free. In the process, he finds his identity as a proud stallion. The story of the real-life horses is told in a direct and affecting style, but the book's great strength is King's sweeping artwork, which chronicles Custer's transformation from a fat, listless colt to a magnificent stallion. Particularly noteworthy is the chromatic shift from the dull grays and browns of Custer's early life to the pastel hues of his first wild run at dawn. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Young Custer is perfectly happy on a farm where he snitches food from the farmhouse kitchen and enjoys the company of cows. But deciding that the horse must be trained, the farmer sells him to a riding school, which suits him not at all. Next stop is another farm, where he meets Minto, a new wild mare; the two escape together and have a glorious run to the beach, becoming inseparable friends before Custer leads Minto back home. King (Cloudy, 1990) narrates with a mellow, understated humor that will recommend her true story to Herriot's fans; her watercolor illustrations are outstanding, romantic yet realistic, with some delightful compositions (Custer peering out of a row of cows, or communing with a sympathetic cat in his new home) and lovely glimpses of the English countryside. Like Parnall's Stuffer (below), a treat for horse lovers and art lovers; of the two books, this has more warmth and appeal. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House UK
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0099745704
• ISBN 13: 9780099745709
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32