Belle's Journey - Hardcover

Reynolds, Marilyn; McCallum, Stephen

4.5

32 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0920501907 ISBN 13: 9780920501900

Publisher: Orca Book Pub

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Every Saturday, Molly rides her old mare, Belle, eight miles each way across the prairie to her piano teacher's house in town, until one winter day the two get caught in a blizzard on the way home

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From Booklist:

Ages 5-8. Belle, a mare too old and stiff to manage farm work, earns her keep by carrying young Molly to and from school and piano lessons. When Father considers selling the horse and replacing her with a younger animal, Molly is pleased with the prospect of a beautiful new pony. Later Molly and Belle are caught in a sudden blizzard, and the brave and determined Belle fights against all odds to reach home safely. Set on the Saskatchewan prairies of the 1920s, the tale is based on a family account and is reminiscent of Brett Harvey's stories of life on the Dakota prairies. McCallum's artwork, done mostly in grays and blues that reflect the desolation of the prairie in winter, is well-suited to the text. The determined, yet loving faces of Molly and her parents are skillfully depicted, and Reynolds' understated message--that old age should not be equated with uselessness--is well taken. Kay Weisman

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