Caldecott Monday: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

[osprey_archer]

This week's Caldecott book is The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, which is about a girl who, well, she loves horses. She loves watching over her tribe's horses; and one day, when a thunderstorm frightens the horses, the girl is caught up in the stampede and they all run away together until they come to a herd of wild horses - led by a noble and valiant stallion - which takes them in.

I have clearly spent way too much time in the general vicinity of shifter romances, because I can't shake the reading that the girl is a horse shifter who has at last found her horse mate in the noble stallion. He's unwilling to let her go when her own people come for her - and in fact she doesn't seem too thrilled at the idea of going back with them either: they only catch her when she falls off her horse. Clearly not running to them with open arms.

And then later the girl disappears entirely, and a new beautiful mare shows up in the herd. Clearly she's finally mastered the art of turning into a horse for good!

Comments

[sovay]

And then later the girl disappears entirely, and a new beautiful mare shows up in the herd. Clearly she's finally mastered the art of turning into a horse for good!

I'm pretty sure that's how I read the story when I encountered it as a child! Is there a reading that doesn't involve shape-changing?

[osprey_archer]

I think the shape-changing at the end is definitely a thing (unless there's some reincarnation/soul migration going on? Definitely mystical turning into a horse things, anyway), but possibly not earlier.

The stallion is sooo protective of her, though. She is clearly already his favorite mare even if she's technically not a mare yet.

[asakiyume]

I love that book--the illustrations are gorgeous, and I love that the happy ending involves her becoming a horse rather than him becoming a person.

[osprey_archer]

I am always ever so slightly disappointed in books where the happy ending involves the characters deciding to be people. Now admittedly humans have longer lifespans than horses, so there's that, but still. All these characters having opportunities to be wolves or horses or hawks or what have you and squandering it.

[brigdh]

I have clearly spent way too much time in the general vicinity of shifter romances, because I can't shake the reading that the girl is a horse shifter who has at last found her horse mate in the noble stallion.

Hahaha, I love this interpretation of the story.

[osprey_archer]

That interpretation is right there! Just begging to be picked up!