As in their previous pairing for Cow
, Doyle and Rinaldi offer a spare text and panoramic paintings to describe the life of a farm animal. The illustrations in this oversize book are stunning as they depict the seasons, from the mare waiting for her foal to be born until the following spring, when a girl “puts a head collar over [the yearling's] warm, silken nose” and dreams of riding him “over the hill and all the way to the sea.” The photo-realistic oil paintings of the countryside are drenched in sunlight, awash with billowing, John Constable clouds, and startling in their rendering of the sparkling snow; the book tells as much about the beauty of ever-changing nature as it does about horses. The quiet text, only a sentence or two per page, adds to the book's serene tone, giving readers more time to peruse the elegant paintings. Ages 5–9. (June)
