Genre
Picture books for children
Illustration
Lavish
Subject
Children and horses
Girls
Horses
Imagination
Imagination in children

Exquisite illustrations elevate this gentle book about love, empathy and empowerment. ( )

"If I had a horse," the young girl-narrator of this lovely picture-book begins, going on to describe the ways she and her equine companion would interact, the ways they would be the same, and the ways that they would differ. Eventually, she concludes, they would be able to do anything together...

The first title I have picked up from author/illustrator Gianna Marino, If I Had a Horse is a gorgeous picture-book! The text is simple, with no more than a phrase per page, and captures the longing that a young child might have, for a horse. The artwork, done in gouache, is colorful and full of immense energy and movement. It perfectly captures the vibrancy, the excitement that the idea of a horse evokes in the narrator. Recommended to all young children who have longed for a horse, imagining the adventures they could have. ( )

Beautiful! A book for every child who has ever wished to have a horse—and, isn't that all of them?

https://shelf-employed.blogspot.com ( )

I'm always eager to see a new book from Marino; her wide and varied repertoire has included such a wide range of art and story that I never know quite what to expect. In her latest book, readers will find a dreamy, stunningly illustrated ode to the love between a child and horse. "If I had a horse" the story begins, and goes on to imagine the wonderful adventures and slowly growing friendship of child and animal.

Swathes of color spread across the pages, showing the slow approach of a shy child and a horse, mane and hair both blowing in the wind, until they ride together across the landscape. There are no identifying details, only a changing panorama of colors. When the horse bucks the child off, swirls of blue, green, and yellow show anger; when they approach a new herd of horses the peaceful colors of a glowing sunset spread across the grasslands. The story ends with the fearless child, standing on the horse's back, arms outspread and hair flying in the wind, as the two friends surge across the page in deep purples and violets, set against streaks of blue and lavender.

Verdict: This dreamy story is the perfect wish fulfillment for a horse-loving reader and a peaceful read for calming down a raucous storytime. Accompany it with a painting program and encourage your audience to experiment with colors, match it with other stories about imagination, or just curl up with a child for a lovely bedtime story. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781626729087; Published 2018 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium