Review - A Horse Named Jack

A Horse Named Jack
by Linda Vander Heyden
illustrated by Petra Brown
Date: 2018
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Jack is a rather silly horse. And when bored, he takes it upon himself to unlatch his stall and go for an adventure through the farm before escaping into the neighbor's garden for a snack. This rhyming story counts up to ten as Jack makes his way across the farm and then back down as he races home with the neighbor hot on his heels.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is actually one of the cutest counting books I've seen, with a great rhyming text and adorable illustrations.

One day when the children don't come to see Jack, he gets bored... so he lifts the latch on his gate and goes out to have some fun on his own. At this point, the counting begins as Jack gets into all sorts of mischief. Eventually, he encounters a neighbour who's not so pleased to find a horse in her garden eating her carrots. She chases him and he runs, encountering many obstacles on his way back to the barn, counting backwards this time from ten to one. And what does he find when he gets home? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The illustrations are lovely, soft-looking, and perfectly capture the personality of the mischievous horse without looking too unrealistic.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It's not easy to put a new spin on a counting book (judging by some of the more basic versions I've read). A Horse Named Jack manages to tell a story as well as teach numbers from one to ten... forwards and backwards!

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.43 out of 5