Books by Horseback: A Librarian’s Brave Journey To Deliver Books to Children

PreS-Gr 2–A simple story about the lengths that people will go to in support of literacy. Delivering books on the back of a horse is no easy task. Faced with storms and flooding creek beds, Edith, who is white, and her trusty horse Dan make their way through the mountains to ensure William gets his adventure book. But with the weather and terrain, Edith and Dan have an adventure of their own. The story is greatly enhanced with panoramic illustrations in single- and double-page spreads. With a natural, earthy palette throughout, close perspective drawings appear on single pages, while action and depth are spread across two-page expanses that convey the danger and vastness of the area that Edith must traverse to complete her task. This is an excellent forum for bringing history and literacy together while broadening the experiences and perspectives of young readers.