Rain and the Reading Horse

It’s with trepidation that bespectacled young Rain, portrayed with pale skin, arrives at a stable to participate in school program Giddy-Up and Read. Rain pictures the jeering faces of classmates who “stare and make her feel small inside,” but Snow, the beautiful white horse she reads to, proves an attentive and nonjudgmental listener, “ears twitching, tail swishing.” When “the words get stuck,” Rain turns to physical activities and sensations—mucking the stall, feeding and grooming Snow—that help to center her. Gradually, she builds confidence and familiarity, repeating the book’s lines while she works, and eventually reading the entire work to her equine companion: “She felt the up and down rhythm of riding and words,” writes Gianferrari (Thank a Farmer), and “her heart beat as steady as the sound of Snow’s hooves.” Impressionistic colored pencil and chalk pastel artwork by Salyer (Ancestory) echoes the narrative’s empathy as flowing, swirling layers of translucent color evoke healing and growth, deepening the impact of a hopeful story rooted in change slowly wrought. Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Oct.)