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Fun kids book, about a horse I'd never heard of before. Exterminator/Old Bones is presented as a magical being - he understands the race better than his jockeys do, he's not bothered by any of the things that bother horses (traveling, people running up to him), etc. Oh, and he recognizes everyone he's ever interacted with - and every interaction was a happy one. No mention of his previous owner after he starts winning, either. It's a very simplified story, but a good one; I enjoyed reading it and will probably reread. I'll keep an eye out for more books by this author, too. ( )

If my library had owned this when I was looking for more like all the ones I loved by?á ( )

What ages would I recommend it too? Six and up.

Length? An evening to read.

Characters? Memorable, several characters.

Setting? Real World, 1915 - 1945.

Written approximately? 1955.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: A young colt goes from an exercise colt to the racer he wants to be.

Notes for the reader: Reasonably well written. Leaves out a few parts the reader might want to know. ( )

This is a reread of a book I read as a child. It is a short book, written in a similar style to many Marguerite Henry stories such as "Misty of Chincoteague", but is suitable for adults who are interested in a mini-biography of the great race horse Exterminator, aka "Old Bones". The drawings by Wesley Dennis are wonderful, as are all that illustrator's works. ( )