Similar in look and feel to the duo’s well-received Cow (2002), this offering follows a foal from his dam’s patient waiting, through his birth and first romp in spring pasture, his furry-coated winter and, finally, the day he’s first haltered and his training begins. The subject matter allows for a more human-oriented story line than Cow—the young horse’s also-young owner, a girl, appears as he gets ready for training—but the same pastoral realism prevails. Rinaldi’s lush, photorealistic oil paintings convey emotion and movement and get all the details right—including, hooray, riders depicted in appropriate safety equipment. A beautiful book for equine lovers of all ages, storytime and up. (Picture book. 3-8)
