The whistling wind tempts Little Horse to venture from his cozy barn to find out what’s afoot in the big wide world. With his parents’ permission, the warm brown pony with a white heart on his forehead trots out to see who might be in the barnyard and beyond—and the farther he goes, the braver he gets. When the scent of the salty sea reaches him, he trots off with wild, joyful abandon, enjoying the crashing surf, the seals and the seabirds: “Romping, stomping, pawing the ground, / Little Horse is horsing around!” His innocent awe and the pleasure he takes in his burgeoning independence are touching, and his return to the barn with mother and father racing alongside him is a comforting conclusion. While the rhythm of the rhyming narrative is a bit strained at times, Wolff’s full-bleed, sun-kissed gouache paintings are beautifully shadowed and textured, full of splashes, breezes and affection. Little horse lovers will be besotted. (Picture book. 2-7)
