Wild Horse Winter

This book was a five star experience for me. It has beautiful illustrations that totally transported me to the wind and snow blinding atmosphere of a blizzard. I could feel the sturdy bodies of the wild horses it depicts struggling against the elements. I could hear there huffing and snuffling groans as they fought to survive in the harsh environment and I could hear their breathing as the steam rose from their warm nostrils while they stood completely buried in the drifted snow. The artist and author, Tesuya Honda has done a brilliant job of depicting a very rarified experience and made it come to life. It's positively magical. The book tells the story from the perspective of one young colt who is facing his first winter. It turns out to be an especially rough winter. The horses in this book are based on the real wild horses of Japan called Dosanko horses that are found on the island of Hokkaido. The ancestors of these horses were brought to Hokkaido over 300 years ago by merchants and fishermen. When the humans left in the cold winter months, they left the horses behind to fend for themselves. Many did not survive, but the ones that did developed into a new breed - the Dosanko. There are only about one thousand Dosanko horses in the world today. The story in this book about the Dosankos' experience with blizzard conditions is a recurring experience in real life. Read this fascinating book to learn the incredible way that these small horses have adapted to survive.This book succeeds on several levels. It is a beautiful, evocative work of art. It is a thrilling story. It introduces us to a little-known species and celebrates the unique qualities of that species. It is a great look at the working of instinct among animals. It shows the strong bond that exists between parent and child as the mother horse protects her young colt during the storm. There are all kinds of wonderful conversation starters in this book to get children thinking about ecology and the preservation of rare species and also about mankind's responsibility to the animals we employ. Both adults and children who like horses will LOVE this book, but anyone who enjoys wildlife will certainly appreciate this book.

My five year old daughter loved this book particularly for the illustrations. The illustrator's use of color really captured her eye. The story itself is based on fact and is quite suspenseful and a little scary. We definately felt compelled to find out how the story ends!