The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses: Module Three Part One

Goble, P. (1978). The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Summary: 

The story commences by telling us of the importance of the horses to Native Americans.  It then transitions to the girl who loved the tribe's horses.  We learn how she cared for them and loved them until the day of the storm.  The horses stampede in fear and carry her far away until she is quite lost.  It is then that she meets the wild horses and their beautiful leader.  Her family searches far and wide for her, and when they find her and bring her home, she becomes ill with the heartache of leaving her horses.  The girl's family allows her to return to her horses, and she reunites with her family once a year when she brings them a colt.  Read this wonderful story to discover the surprise ending.

My Evaluation:

The first thing that drew me in while reading this book was the beautiful, classic, Native American illustrations.  They set the stage perfectly for the excellent story.  The writing has a lovely flow that draws you along to the surprising conclusion.  I feel that it is important to note that "the girl" is never given a name, so she could be anyone.  Girls that read this book could insert themselves into the story of a girl being wild and free with her horses.  The author also includes a Native American song about a horse and a dream about a stallion that Black Elk experienced.  It gives another welcome look into Native American culture.

Reviews:

Bowker: Books in Print. (2011). Annotations: The girl who loved wild horses. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:4874/default.ashx 

"There was a girl in the village who loved horses... She led the horses to drink at the river. She spoke softly and they followed. People noticed that she understood horses in a special way."

And so begins the story of a young Native American girl devoted to the care of her tribe's horses. With simple text and brilliant illustrations. Paul Goble tells how she eventually becomes one of them to forever run free.

Davis, M. (2010, June 27). Re: Genre 2 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://litforchildrenandyoungadults.blogspot.com/2010/06/genre-2-girl-who-loved-wild-horses-by.html

Through his words and paintings, Paul Goble tells a beautiful story of a Native American girl whose heart leads her on a life-changing journey. This folktale embodies the conventional elements of traditional tales with its transformational motif (from human to horse) and cultural relevance. The setting is simple, yet clear and provides the perfect foundation for the events that play out. As with many folktales, readers see time pass in the blink of an eye, as years pass with nothing more than the turn of a page. Goble does an excellent job of highlighting the human nature of the wild horses through their ability to “talk” to the girl and take her in as one of their own. Remaining true to the Native American culture, the author ensures that the importance of the natural world is emphasized through the words of his tale and, ultimately, the ending events. Adding further authenticity, Goble incorporates Native American heritage through the inclusion of two traditional songs.

My Suggestions for Use in a Library Setting:

This book would be an excellent way to begin having art classes in the library.  Every Caldecott award book shows different examples of the ways that art is incorporated into literature, and this book is no exception.  The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses would be used to introduce the idea that different cultures have different styles, learning what those styles are, and learning their significance.