Hold Your Horses!: A Feedbag Full of Fact and Fable [Hardcover]

Milton Meltzer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up

Horses have been, among other things, a cowboy’s best friend, a knight’s trusty ally, a bettor's race track dream, and the inspiration for countless artists, writers, and storytellers. This engaging account explores how the rich partnership between humans and horses has helped to shape more than five thousand years of history.

100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 1995 (NY Public Library)

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8?The role of horses in the history of humankind is unique and often pivotal. Although Meltzer includes the characteristics of various breeds, aspects of horse care, and biographies of some famous animals, he focuses on the impact of the creature's domestication on people's lives and the fearful price that it has sometimes paid for its service. Worshipped in some cultures and glorified in art, its considerable contribution to world civilization is revealed through chapters that include an overview of the horse's basic character, its role in ancient history, and its influence in more recent times. Informational vignettes interspersed throughout capture some of the more offbeat data, such as the origin of the hobbyhorse, as well as the fact that King Edward III paid a ransom of #20 for a warhorse and only #16 for the safe return of Chaucer. Using the same format and style that made his The Amazing Potato (1992) and Gold (1993, both HarperCollins) so successful and interesting, the author has produced a well-researched, concisely written, and thought-provoking book that's as fascinating as the subject itself. Black-and-white reproductions and photographs appear throughout. An excellent choice for recreational reading or reports.?Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. After The Amazing Potato (1992) and Gold (1994), Meltzer now completes his vegetable-mineral-animal trilogy on the three kingdoms of nature. In an easy, casual style, he weaves together a wealth of history and myth, fact and fiction, about horses and their role in human history. The book design is like that of a magazine article, with spacious text and lots of boxed passages and illustrations throughout. The focus isn't on science (there's no anatomy and physiology), but on culture: how people over the centuries have used horses in work, war, sports, and art. There's a long bibliography, and chapter notes at the back discuss which sources were used for each topic. A natural for research papers, this will be read by all those for whom the horse is a mythic creature. Whether talking about nomads or knights, hunters or farmers, cowboys or cavalry, Meltzer shows that people have nearly always associated horses with what is exciting and good. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 133 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 1st edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060244771
• ISBN-13: 978-0060244774
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,993,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hold you horses, March 24, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hold Your Horses!: A Feedbag Full of Facts and Fables (Library Binding)

This book is about the early years of horses and when chairoits was frist used and the purpose of this book is to Provide you with information about horses. I though it was a prety good book. But I would not recommand this to you if you just wanted to read it for fun it is best suited for the uses of a project.

Jamie s

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Horse Heaven, April 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hold Your Horses!: A Feedbag Full of Facts and Fables (Library Binding)

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses. Anyone who likes learning facts about horses. The purpose of this book is to let people understand horses' background . The target background is to anyone who loves horses and loves learning about horses. This book summed up is the process of how horses evolved and what their stage names were. For example, Eohippus,Mesphippus, Mery chippus, Equus Preewalskii.

-Chelsey M.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars everything you would ever want to know, January 8, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hold Your Horses!: A Feedbag Full of Facts and Fables (Library Binding)

An excellent history of the horse! It's never dull. The information is presented in an easy to understand way, and very interesting. Anyone interested in horses should definately read this.