Customer Reviews

Calico the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Stinker

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3 star:		(1)
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"Way out west in Cactus County there was a horse named Calico. She wasn't very pretty...but she was very smart. She was the smartest fastest horse in all of Cactus County." She could run like "greased lightning", and she could smell like a bloodhound. "Her nose was so keen she could track a bee through a blizzard." She was owned by a cowboy named Hank, and "...she would go to the end of the trail for Hank. They had a language all their own and understood each other perfectly." Life was good and happy for everyone who lived in Cactus County, no locks, no fences, and no sheriff or jail. But across the Cactus River were the Badlands where the villains of this story lived. And the meanest, sneakiest, absolutely worst bad man of them all was Stewy Stinker. He was so mean, "he would hold up Santa Claus on Christmas Eve if he had a chance." So sit back and get comfortable and see what happened when Stewy Stinker and his nasty gang came to town..... First published in 1941, Calico The Wonder Horse is as fresh and entertaining today, as it was over fifty years ago. This is an old fashioned, action packed, rootin' tootin' western that has it all...cattle rustling, hold-ups, a stampede and kidnapping, a wild and thrilling stagecoach chase, and through it all, Calico comes to the rescue, outsmarts the bad guys and saves the day. Virginia Lee Burton's clever, witty text is dramatic, engaging and full of wild west colloquialisms that will have both kids and adults laughing and cheering at all the fun. Her marvelous comic strip illustrations are expressive and full of detail and beg to be pored over and explored. Put it all together and you have the makings of a timeless classic to share with friends, family and future generations. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Calico The Wonder Horse is a masterpiece and a MUST for every home library.

I am a big fan of Virginia Lee Burton and Calico the Wonder Horse is another example of her great illustrations and story lines. The story is action packed; you laugh, you cry, and you want the good guy to win and live happily ever after. What is interesting about this book is that the color of the pages correspond with the action of the story. It is an all around good read for you and your child.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter and I love this book! Best of all, and unlike many of our other favorites, the hero (Calico) is female whose merit is based on her intellect and problem-solving skills. I really like that subliminal message. I'll admit that at first I was a little put off by the artsy "comic book" format, but it grows on you, and I appreciate it more each time I read it. This book and Mike Mulligan are must-have Burton books.

The illustrations of this Wild West comedy saga are just as good as the lively and creative prose. Easy to read in one sitting as a great "before bed" story. The adventure and humor will keep even those with short attention spans listening intently. The ending is perfect!

Wow! I didn't find this book until I had children. I had always had a fondness in my heart for "The Little House", and looked it up once I had my children. I also remembered "Mike Mulligan", but was unfamiliar with her other books. Although "Maybelle the Cable Car" is great, I think Calico the Wonder horse has to be my favorite. The style is so different from other books, but just right. I am glad to see it is in print. I bought a book for each one of my kids, so they can hopefully share it with their families some day.

I can't believe I found it! This was one of my favorite books from when I was in kindergarten. I remember it well. I'm buying it for my 6-year-old daughter tonight.

I just found this book again and read it to my two year old, and he loved it! I have no idea where we got this book when I was a kid but I'm glad I've been able to hang onto it. It's been through some tough times and is pretty beat up, but it just adds to the charm. Aesthetics of my personal copy aside, it's a great story for youngsters, full of memorable characters like Stewy Stinker, Buzzard Bates, Skunk Skeeter, and of course Calico. They'll love the adventure and the humor. When I read Stewy Stinker's line "aha, nice pickins!" my two year old burst out laughing.

Virginia Lee Burton is fabulous! And this version of the book is really great...there is intro info on why she did some really interesting things with the publication...pages change color to evoke moods, drawings are,as always with this author, wonderful....the story is engaging and exciting for all ages!

I was searching for a great horse-themed book to give my daughter's best friend this Christmas, and when I came upon this one I knew it would be perfect. I was so taken by it from the 'look inside' preview that I purchased an extra copy for my eldest daughter, who is almost four.

We already own a few Virginia Lee Burton books, including Katy and the Big Snow, which also has a female heroine. This one had me with the first line; "Way out in West Cactus County there was a horse named Calico. She wasn't very pretty... but she was very smart." Something I adore about Virginia Lee Burton's books is that she took these predominantly male-interest subjects (heavy machinery, cowboys) and threw in an unexpected female heroine, making them just as easily accessible to girls as to boys, which in an ideal world they should be. Of course, my daughters identify more with Calico's 'cowboy' Hank and they attempt to emulate him while riding their inflatable Rody bouncy-horse, which they have affectionately renamed Calico.

The comic-style book, which practically begs to be read in an old-western accent, continues to narrate the tale of Cactus County, a peaceable town with only one enemy: The moustache-curling Stewy Stinker and his gang of 'Bad Men,' Butch Bones, Snake-Eye Pyezon, Buzzard Bates, and Little Skunk Skeeter 'who tags along because nobody else likes him.' The description of the various characters is quite entertaining. Early on, you're clued in that 'Stewy Stinker was said to be so mean he would hold up Santa Claus on Christmas Eve,' and ultimately this is what takes place - in a sense - bringing the baddest of bad men, Stewy Stinker himself, to tears, and ultimately redemption. The ending is a happy one, where all are invited - even the bad guys per Calico's advice - to the Christmas Eve party that they almost crashed.

This Christmas theme, which was previously unknown to me, worked well since we were giving these as Christmas presents.

Calico's story is a good one. It's entertaining, it has suspense and drama and interesting, amusing characters. Both my daughter's friend who received this book, and my two daughters (2 and 4 years) were riveted to the story, and it's not terribly short, though the pictures are plentiful and absolutely stunning high-contrast black and white scratchboard. I wish I could frame that first picture of Calico, I like it that much. The illustrations are a different style from most of the other Virginia Lee Burton books we own, but are equally if not (in some ways) more captivating.

My only gripe is with the edition of this book that is currently for sale here. Ours fell apart, literally, after the first reading. Luckily, the binding is sewn, so glue sufficed as a repair, though the first page is kind of messed up now. For $7.99, I'd like to buy a book that lasts more than one read. If I were to buy it again, I might try to locate an older, used copy instead of throwing away money on a lousy, cheap China printing that didn't stand the test of 5 minute's time.

As for the book itself, I'd highly recommend it, though I would bring to the attention of potential buyers that there is a gun-fight midway through the book, as this might be offensive or too mature a subject matter for some readers.

Virginia Lee Burton developed a unique and timeless style of visual storytelling that has endured for 70 years. With the courage to rewrite based on to-the-point focus group feedback (her young children), Ms. Burton didn't publish until her books passed muster with the young audience. The results have been popular with children young and old.

Although the colors of the pages were designed with emotional intent, the black and white illustrations more than carry the weigh and meaning of the story.