Stablemates: Belle

Emmy is nervous about moving from the country to the big city. The city is too loud and too busy. But what Emmy misses most is riding horses through the countryside.

Then Emmy meets Belle, an American Quarter Horse, at a park stable near her apartment. Though it takes a few rides, Belle finally helps Emmy feel better about her new home. And as the holiday season approaches, both Emmy and Belle are in for a wonderful Christmas surprise.

Emmy is nervous about moving from the country to the big city. The city is too loud and too busy. But what Emmy misses most is riding horses through the countryside.

Then Emmy meets Belle, an American Quarter Horse, at a park stable near her apartment. Though it takes a few rides, Belle finally helps Emmy feel better about her new home. And as the holiday season approaches, both Emmy and Belle are in for a wonderful Christmas surprise.

Children's Literature

When Emmy moves from the country to the city she has to leave behind riding lessons and her beloved horse, Dancer. She does not like the city with its tall buildings and loud noises. One day Emmy and her parents discover a riding stable in a nearby park and sign Emmy up for lessons. She is given a gentle horse named Belle but Emmy finds it hard to relax with the sounds of fire engine sirens and horns honking. One Saturday the instructor leads Emmy and Belle along some quiet bridle paths and Emmy begins to relax and enjoy her ride. She dawdles so far behind that she loses sight of her instructor and becomes lost. Placing her trust in Belle, who instinctively knows the way, she makes it back to the stable and her anxiously awaiting parents. Within the confines of a controlled vocabulary there emerges a simple and satisfying story with enough suspense to hold the attention of a young reader. The watercolor illustrations are adequate and help move the story along. The one minor quibble is that the parents and instructor are waiting at the stable when one would think they would be out searching for Emmy. The Lexile level is included as a guide for parents choosing appropriate reading for their child. Also included is a notation on the word count, reading, and grade level. This Level 3 reader with its December setting would make a nice stocking stuffer for first to third grade girls who never seem to tire of horse stories. There are brief facts about the American Quarter Horse, Belle's breed. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey

Jacqueline Rogers has been illustrating children's books for over 20 years. Her titles include I AM BLESSED, BEST FRIENDS SLEEP OVER, and THE LITTLEST CHRISTMAS TREE. She currently resides in New York.