Harold Roth's Big Book of Horses

Provides facts about different breeds of horses, care and feeding, riding, competitions, and racing, and features a glimpse of a day in the life of a young horse owner

Grade 3-6 Color photos on every page should make this book appealing to young readers, but there are some flaws. Roth has compiled both posed and action shots of various breeds and equine activities. Although most of the photos portray the beauty of horses, the quality is inconsistent. A few are outstanding, but sometimes shadows obscure details of some horses' faces. The brief text seems to be organized around the illustrations. (An exception is the American Saddlebred, which Lundell describes but Roth does not picture.) The information includes breeds, horses in general, and many horse sports. Readers will most likely focus on the segment, ``A Day in the Life of a Young Horse Owner,'' in which Roth captures the interaction between Bonnie and her pony, Bambi. The book's major flaw is its attempt to cover such a broad subject in so few pages. Compared to Chase's Big Book of Horses (Grosset, 1964), this volume ranks second in organization and information. Charlene Strickland, Los Angeles County Public Library, Valencia, Calif.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Lundell begins by mentioning that the age of technology has not harmed the horse, nor will it. After listing a few facts about the different horse breeds, like thoroughbreds, Arabians and color breeds, she then spends a "day in the life of" a young horse owner, discussing the different people who care for horses (blacksmith and veterinarian), and the activities for which horses are used or ridden: racing, police work, polo, following the hounds and circus performances, among others. Roth's splendid photographs in this catalogue offer young equestrians a feast, with shots that exhibit wonderful clarity. The text carries occasionally superfluous, almost inane, information: "Horses like to eat"; and, as for their dispositions, "Horses seem to have a sense of humor." But this is, indeed, a big book of horses. Ages 710.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.