If I Was a Horse
Sophie Blackall
Publisher: Lothian Children's Books, Hachette
ISBN: 9780734422712
Awards Year: 2024
Category: Picture Book of the Year

Blurb

If I was a horse, I would gallop all day.
I could go anywhere I want...

If you were a horse, what would you do? Could you fit in your clothes? Would you give your little sister a ride? Would your brother even notice?

Gallop along with two-time Caldecott Medallist Sophie Blackall through this riotous day in the life of a child who imagines their life as a horse. Sophie's delightful text and resonant illustrations that feature a giant horse in familiar settings offer a visual feast, a grand dose of joy and a celebration of the real power of imagination to help us navigate the world.

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The CBCA judges say...

Attention is demanded right from the appealing dust jacket and clever endpaper illustrations that communicate the context of childhood growth beautifully. Full of imagination and gentle humour, the main character leads the reader through highly relatable aspects of family life through the perspective of a horse. The delightful illustrations provide outstanding detail and invite the reader to pore over the images. The simple plot is expressed through scarce but rhythmic text, with the exquisite illustrations doing most of the storytelling. The clever representation of home and school settings effectively contributes to the storyline of playful rebellion against the ‘constraints’ of childhood.

 

Teaching Notes for this book...

Hachette, the publisher, has generously made teaching notes available for this book on their website.

 

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