Airy collage art, skillfully fashioned from tissue and Japanese papers, contributes the horsepower to this counting book by the illustrator of Hattie and the Fox and The Magic Saddle. Dominated by an exquisite, cool palette of slate blues, sea greens and teal tones, Mullins's diverse cavalry ranges from realistic, sharply focused show horses to ethereal, winged horses "high in a cloud" to painted ponies on a carousel and fancifully imagined, luminous sea horses. Though the fairly limited narrative ("Seven horses all shapes and sizes,/ Eight horses wearing ribbons and prizes") lacks the substance and esprit of the artwork, equestrians aren't likely to complain. Mullins's blue-ribbon pictures, offering such inventive equines, will likely set young imaginations galloping to the finish. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3AA colorful counting book. From "One horse waiting for me" to "Twelve horses...running wild and free!" Mullins celebrates these creatures with a charming mixture of fantasy and reality. There are rocking horses and merry-go-round mounts, imaginary steeds prancing in the clouds and the sea, and naturalistic horses of all shapes and sizes at a show and in the field. The lovely torn-page collages have rich hues of blue and green as backdrops to the varied colored animals. From the detailed harnesses on the work horses to the many types of hobbyhorses, the figures have movement and eye-catching detail. They fill the double-page spreads and sometimes seem ready to gallop right off of the pages. The superior quality of the illustrations carries the text, which is adequate but not memorable. Some of the rhymed passages work; others are more uneven. For young horse lovers, the artwork will hold great appeal, but the cumulative rhyming text is much less interesting and makes this an optional purchase.ACarol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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