The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble is the story of a girl who loved horses. She tends to them and understands them. She spends her days with them as they graze in the meadow. One day a storm comes and frightens the horses. As the horses begin to flee the storm, she mounts one. She cannot get the horses under control and they gallop until they are lost. The next morning a wild stallion welcomes the girl and her horses to his range. Eventually she is found and returned to her people. Upon returning to her people she becomes ill and her family realizes her heart is truly with the horses she loves so much.

The theme of this story is a girl loving horses. This story could be about any girl anywhere, not just a Native American. The story crosses all cultural lines. All the actions in this book are presented in a positive fashion. The fine detailing of the pen and ink and watercolor illustrations tell the story visually. This book was a Randolph Caldecott Award winner, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and a Notable Children’s Trade Book in the National Council for the Social Studies. I’m an old girl who loves horses so I found the story as enchanting as the first time I read the book.

I recommend this book to students in grades 2-4.

Keywords: wild horses, Indians, weather, freedom, love