Genre 2 Book 1

1. Bibliography
Goble, Paul. 1978. THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN 0689716966
Illustrated by Paul Goble

2. Plot Summary
In this folktale, Goble reminds of the importance of freedom. Amongst the village of people, lived a young girl who loved horses and could communicate with them in a special way. She spent time each day caring for the horses. One day while caring for them, she got really sleepy so she lie down and fell into a deep sleep. An angry thunderstorm did not even wake her. Suddenly there was a great flash of lightning that shook the year and scared the girl awake. Frightened horses were snorting and rearing up all around her. She jumped upon a horse, and it carried her far away from her village. When they outran the storm, the horses rested. As the girl looked around, she realized that she was lost. The next morning, she was wakened by the sound of a beautiful stallion. This extremely beautiful stallion told the girl that he was the leader of the wild horses, and he wanted the girl to now live with them. The village people searched for the girl and horses but could not find them until one day they spotted her with a colt. The village people went and “rescued” the girl from the horses only to realize that she did not want to be rescued. Her parents loved her enough to let her go back and live with the horses, and everyone was happy. She would visit her village one a year. One year, she did not return and was never seen again. The hunters did see a beautiful mare walking beside the stallion and realized that the girl had become one of the wild horses. As we see the wild horses running, we should feel the joy of freedom.

3. Critical Analysis
The characters in THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES are not named; however, one can feel their emotions. The girl loved the horses and so wanted to run with them, and in return her family loved her enough to let her go. The horses running in the wild are symbolic of freedom. Freedom and love are themes throughout the story. The illustrations done in warm browns and oranges support the calmness the girl feels when she is with the horses. Attention to detail in the illustrations is evident in the small creatures placed in the grassy areas with birds and butterflies flying around the sky.

4. Review Excerpt(s)
Caldecott Medal 1979
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Pre-School-Grade 2-Paul Goble's beautifully-told, Caldecott Award-winning book (S&S, 1978) receives a fine treatment in this book.”

5. Connections
This story is a good addition to a Native American unit being taught in a K-2 classroom. In addition, the artwork is so detailed and vivid that studying the illustrations alone would be interesting and beneficial to any elementary aged child.
Other stories that are similar:
STORM BOY by Paul Owen Lewis
BUFFALO WOMEN by Paul Goble
STAR BOY by Paul Goble