A few months ago I attended a book signing for illustrator Gael Abary. Funny story-Gael lives in Kailua and she asked me to meet her IRL at her signing at Book Ends in Kailua. Another funny coincidence, I met author and editor Amy Novesky online when I queried her publishing company Cameron books. Amy has always been super encouraging and kind to me. It’s because of her that I kept pushing myself to write through the loads of rejection I received. I was happy to attend the event and purchase their beautiful book. I also brought home a few other picture books which I’m excited to review soon.
If You Want to Ride a Horse is such a beautifully illustrated book. Based on the title, I thought it would be a fun book with sparse text, but I was wrong. The book is full of whimsical imagery and details of the horse riding experience. It’s full of imagination and questions that beckon the reader to be in the saddle of the rider. Think pictures of carousels and questions that invite storytelling and curiosity.
Words like, “Golden chestnut,” “dappled like a starry sky,” and “Appaloosa polka dots,” evoke a sense of place and experience that elevated my own vocabulary. It challenged me to use more sensory descriptions in my own stories.
I love the sing-song rhythm of the text which reads like poetry and is fun to read aloud. Gael uses a pastel palette which feels like a watercolor painting and matches the tone of the story.
There are so many memorable details throughout the book. The horse’s name, for example, is etched in the cheek piece of the horse’s bridle. It’s the same name of the author’s horse who she dedicates the book to.
There is a bit of education on what goes into a grooming kit as well as how to take care of a horse. The illustrations are adorable and beautifully detailed, and you learn quite a bit about different types of horse breeds, ways or riding a horse, and taking care of one in the back matter.
I love that this picture book can be for kids who are familiar with riding horses (I used to ride as a kid) and for kids who want to. There’s a lot of subtle encouragement here about fear which can be applied to many things not just horseback riding as well as inspiration to dream and imagine.
I was so impressed with this picture book and honored to sort of know the author and illustrator.
Just ordered from the library. Sounds like the kind of PB I turn to for inspiration. Thanks for spotlighting!