The Sand Horse

An artist who lives on the beach in St. Ives with his wife and baby loves to sculpt the sand into animal shapes, especially horses. One particularly fine day, when the white horses (whitecaps) gallop over the water, the artist works all day to mold a powerful sand horse. People throw him coins, and when the sun sets, he leaves. The sand horse, embedded in the beach, hears the call of the foamy white horses and longs to join them, and by dawn, he has. A smooth beach greets the artist, who smiles with the knowledge of where the sand horse has gone. A poetic paean to the eternity of the tides, or gentle musings on the ephemeral nature of art--this is a poignant story. The lyrical text combines with Foreman's dusky, delicate paintings to evoke the pounding, rhythmic surf and the lure of the sea. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)