Pitcher’s story of separation anxiety, here played out by a foal and its mother, will have relevance to children who have experienced similar worries. The foal is an uneasy creature: It is upset by the wind, and the night. More unsettling are its mother’s intimations that they will not always be together: “You won’t think of me then.” This puzzles the foal. “Why won’t I think of you?” it asks. “Because you won’t.” When the day comes--the mother leaves to give rides to children—the foal almost faints, but in no time, it begins to play with the wind: Instant independence. Handsome illustrations can’t keep the story from feeling a little pat, and the mother is—for readers—callous. (Picture book. 3-7)
