Chestnut [Hardcover]

Constance W. McGeorge (Author), Mary Whyte (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A long time ago in a city by the sea, there lived a horse named Chestnut.

Chestnut belongs to Mr. Decker, who runs a delivery service. Each morning at dawn, Mr. Decker harnesses his horse to the wagon to make deliveries around the city.

On the morning of the mayor's daughter's birthday, there are important deliveries to be made: flour to the baker for Jenny's birthday cake, bows to the hatmaker for a birthday bonnet, and a sack of sugar to the candymaker to prepare sweets for the party guests. But when Mr. Decker oversleeps, Chestnut must set off alone, pulling the heavy wagon through the morning fog, following the familiar steps to the merchants' stores to make the special deliveries.

Constance McGeorge has written a charming tale of a steadfast horse whose faithfulness saves the day. Illustrator Mary Whyte's lovely paintings bring Chestnut to life and perfectly recreate the bustle of turn-of-the-century city life. As they turn the pages, young readers will almost hear the sound of the horse's iron shoes clattering over the cobblestones.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Set a "long time ago, in a city by the sea," this story tells how a loyal horse saves the day. Chestnut belongs to Mr. Decker, who runs a delivery service. On the morning of the mayor's daughter's birthday party, he is charged with bringing supplies to various shopkeepers–flour to the baker for the cake, bows to the hatmaker for Jenny's birthday bonnet, etc. After loading the wagon, Mr. Decker falls back to sleep and it is up to Chestnut to make the deliveries on his own. Traveling through thick early morning fog, the animal makes his way through the city. At each stop, the shopkeepers are so busy with last-minute party arrangements that they do not notice Mr. Decker's absence. The man awakens when Chestnut returns to the stable and is filled with relief and pride when he realizes what his faithful horse has done. The airy, soft-hued watercolor illustrations are as lovely as the lilting language. Chestnut has a "kind eye" as equestrians would say about a good-natured horse, which is evident in his interactions with the human characters. Varied perspectives add interest and drama to the artwork. Young horse lovers will embrace this charming tale.–Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. From a team best known for chronicling the antics of Boomer, the charismatic golden retriever of Boomer's Big Day (1994) and others, comes an appealing story about another domesticated animal. Chestnut the horse belongs to Mr. Decker, who runs a delivery service in their seaside town. One day Chestnut's deliveries are especially important because it's the birthday of Jenny, the mayor's daughter. The pair must deliver all the materials for party preparations: flour to the baker for the birthday cake, sugar to the candy maker for the sweets, ribbon to the dressmaker for trimming Jenny's new hat, and, of course, birthday presents. Rising early to be sure of completing his rounds, Mr. Decker sits down in the barn for a rest--and falls fast asleep. Luckily the resourceful Chestnut knows just what to do. Whyte's watercolors of a picturesque, nineteenth-century town, modeled on Charleston, South Carolina, meld beautifully with McGeorge's quiet, homespun tale of determination and devotion. Terry Glover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Pub Ltd (J); 1 edition (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561453218
• ISBN-13: 978-1561453214
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horse Lovers Come Forth, November 4, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chestnut (Hardcover)

A long time ago, in a city by the sea, a delivery-man named Mr. Decker, owned a horse named Chestnut who helped to pull the delivery wagon all over town. People would eagerly await the early morning arrival of Mr. Decker and Chestnut, for they relied on them very much to help supply their businesses with goods. One morning Mr. Decker falls asleep after chaining Chestnut to the delivery wagon, and loading it with goods. Now Chestnut must take matters into his own hooves, and deliver the goods before it is too late.

I am a huge horse lover, so CHESTNUT was a book that I just knew that I had to have. Constance W. McGeorge's lovely prose bring the story to life, describing the delightful scenery found around Chestnut, while the gorgeous illustrations by Mary Whyte keep you mesmerized from the very first page, to the very last. Overall this is a gorgeous new children's book. Especially for horse lovers.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book about a Haflinger Horse, February 11, 2008

By 

Startanew2 "Startanew2" (Rural Northeast Ohio - like Mayberry!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chestnut (Hardcover)

If you have or know someone who has a haflinger horse, then this book is for you. Drop dead gorgeous watercolor paintings illustrate this book. The storyline is completely believable if you have ever owned a Haflinger Horse. They are a special breed, and this book really does them justice. You won't fall asleep reading it to your little ones!

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book, March 3, 2011

By 

mom in NC (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chestnut (Hardcover)

This book has beautiful illustrations and a sweet animal story about a horse that must make deliveries alone after its owner falls asleep. The deliveries are made in the pre-dawn of a long-ago Savannah morning. The picture of the fire horses racing by is very dramatic, and was slightly scary for my 3-year-old at first. Glimpses of city life in the background are interesting, and depict both black and white residents going about their daily business.
Especially good for girls who love horses, as the on-time deliveries must be made to allow a little girl to have her birthday party.