Module 3: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses and Ashanti to Zulu

Citation:

Goble, Paul. The girl who loved wild horses. Simon & Schuster, 1978. Print.

Summary:

A young girl tends and loves the horses that belong to her nomadic tribe.  One day there is a stampede because of a storm.  The herd is far away from the tribe so she gets swept up in the mad dash away from the storm.  The herd ends up joining with a wild one where the lead stallion accepts her as a member.

Personal Impression:

The beautiful story with its striking illustrations makes this book unique and memorable.  It exposes children to another culture's legends and provides an insight into their values and lessons.  I highly recommend it.  There is a version available with an audio tape that has Native music playing in the background during the reading.

Review:

"K-Gr 3 - After becoming lost in a storm, a young Indian girl joins and lives with a herd of wild horses until, finally, she becomes one herself.  The story is good for telling aloud, but the real strength of the book lies in the highly detailed, full-page lithographs finely printed in bright colors that correspond with the text.  For example, a night scene in a dark canyon is enchanting, conveying well the mood of desolation.  The illustrations alone make this worth owning. - Victoria Campell, Great Falls Public Library, Mt." Published in the School Library Journal in December 1978

Suggestions in a Library Setting

This would be an excellent book to use in conjunction with a program focusing on multiculturalism.  Children can draw pictures of horses.  A display can be fashioned that showcases Native American items or a variety of native horses.  If one acquired the book/tape set, that would be a wonderful way to conduct a storytime.

Citation:

Musgrove, Margaret, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon. Ashanti to Zulu: African traditions. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1976. Print.

Summary:

This is a different take on the traditional A to Z book, normally for young children.  In order to inform an older age of children, about a variety of African tribes in a familiar format.

Personal Impression:

I liked the text and the illustrations but I don't know how much the information would appeal to children.  I believe this is one of those books that would appeal to a certain audience but not to a general one.

Review:

" Gr 3 - 5 -Twenty - six African tribes - from Ashanti to Zulu; from the Sahara down to the savannas - file by in the Dillons' dazzling processional.  Each framed tableau in lush tropical tones (parrot green, mango, aqua, lemon) offers a composite picture of a particular people, showing their regional dress, wildlife, type of home, etc.  Unfortunately, the text, limited to a boxed paragraph below each picture, neglects to point all this out and, instead, is restricted to describing a folkway or custom.  At best there are snippets of interesting information... Still the artwork makes it all worthwhile; as beautifully designed as the famous Ashanti kente cloth, its stylized elegance manages to capture both the variety and vitality of African tribal life. - Jane Abramson"  Published in School Library Journal in February 1977.

Suggested Use in a Library Setting:

This particular book is an excellent example children's book artwork.  It could be used in conjunction with a program focusing on art and its practical applications.  It could also be used as a cultural book during Black History Month.