Horse and Pony Treasury

I've been reading horse books for years, and it's not often that I am surprised and delighted by your basic intro-to-horses-for-kids book. This book caught my eye immediately with its sweet illustrations, and kept my attention with its accurate and wonderfully age-appropriate text covering just a manageable taste of breeds, of horse care, of competitions, etc. It is beautifully illustrated with a combination of photographs (mostly British) and illustrations. It also includes a section of horses in art and history, and 6 horse myths from five different cultures: Greek, Norse, Chinese, Persian, and Italian. No element is covered in enough depth for this to be a complete how-to book by any means. But, the design is beautiful, the text is clear and approachable, and it is a wonderful book for a young reader interested in horses, perhaps leading her into books with more specific information. The age recommendation is 9-12 which is about right, but I would not hesitate to buy it for a younger child with the intention of reading it aloud. It is the sort of book that is fun to share.