WILD HORSES

Wild horses? Hmm—there’s mustangs, right? Maybe zebras? Halls expands the topic considerably with this well-researched, well-organized and clearly written volume. She first tackles eohippus, the tiny “dawn horse”—clearly wild, as it existed before humankind—and traces how it developed into equus, the modern horse. From there she discusses the wild horses that exist today in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, including fascinating asides on such topics as the healthy herd of Przewalski’s horses living in the shadow of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, the ancient chalk Uffington horse in England and the actions taken to save the National Arabian Herd of Iraq. The text closes with a list of organizations that work to preserve wild horses. A thorough and useful volume. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)