THE LOST HORSE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Young, E. 2004. The LOST HORSE. New York: Voyager Books ISBN-10: 015205023X.


2. PLOT SUMMARY:

Sai, a wise Chinese farmer, had the misfortune of having his horse run away. His friends and neighbors tried to console him; but, the old man said to them that this event could be a blessing. The horse returned and brought a stallion with him. Everyone congratulated the old man; but the old man asked if this is a blessing or a disaster. One day the son was riding the new horse, feel and broke his hip. Again, everyone tried to console the father; the father said not to worry because the broken leg could be a blessing. A year later the nomads came and all able-bodied men would have to go to fight a war. Although the Chinese lost 90 percent of their warriors, the son did not have to go because he had a broken leg. So the moral of the story is that blessings can turn to disasters and disasters can turn to blessings. Life continues to change.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This story takes place on a northern China farm, many, many years ago. The main characters, the father, the son and the neighbors are consistent thought the story. The plot following in logical sequence. An incident happens such as the “disaster” of a run-away horse, and then the next thing that happens reverses the outcome. Although likely a translation, the story would be very effective in a “Read Aloud”. The story is written in manner that makes the reader want to know what will happen next. The story has minimal humor, much anticipation and a “happy-ever-after” ending. The moral of the story is clear. Ed Young’s illustrations are beautiful, subdued watercolors with a distinct oriental feel and appearance.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:

BOOKLIST: “Ages 5-8. With delicate and dramatic collage illustrations in pastel and watercolor, Young retells an old Chinese folktale that has echoes in many cultures. The words are spare. Sai has few possessions, but he owns a horse that is both strong and fast. When the horse runs away in a thunderstorm, the people come to comfort Sai. "You know it may not be such a bad thing," he tells them. When the horse returns with a mare, the people congratulate Sai on his good fortune. "Perhaps it is not such a good thing," he says. Then the mare throws Sai's son, who breaks his leg, and the injury saves him from going to war. . . . The pictures are wonderfully theatrical: the spacious double-page overviews of the rural community suddenly give way to sharp close-ups of a rearing horse in a lightning storm or of hostile invaders streaming across the page. Packaged with the book are some beautiful puppets, which libraries will have to keep separately and perhaps use for storytelling; however, the puppets are just an extra. It is the story that will lead children beyond the book to discover the unexpected turnabouts in the sad and happy events of their own lives. As my Jewish grandmother would say: "Maybe things happen for the best." Hazel Rochman

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Kindergarten-Grade 3 "A wonderful elaboration on an ancient Chinese proverb and story dating from the Han Dynasty. The proverb, which can be translated, "A loss may turn out to be a gain," as well as the original story (though it appears here without the moral), are printed in Chinese characters at the beginning of the book. When a man's horse runs away, he refuses to see the event as a tragedy, just as he refuses to celebrate its return with a mare. Similarly, when his son is thrown from the mare's back and breaks his leg, the father does not consider this mishap as necessarily bad. His trust in the fortunes of life is rewarded when the son's injury prevents him from going to war, and thus saves him from possible death. Pastel and watercolor collages appear on two-page spreads and depict characters wearing attire authentic to their time and place. The tents and the predominantly brown scenery provide realistic glimpses into the stark landscape of the northern frontier. Striking close-up views show the son tumbling from his horse and families mourning their dead after battle. This story is an excellent springboard for a discussion of the changing nature of life. An added bonus is the three articulated puppets that will encourage storytellers to extend the story. Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk .”


5. CONNECTIONS

This book would be excellent for Read Alouds. Announce to the students the name of the book, its author, and the award winning illustrator. Although Young did not win an award for this book, he has won numerous awards for his illustrations, including the Caldecott Medal in 1990 and Caldecott Honors in 1993 and 1989. Then read the book aloud to your students, showing the illustrations as you read. Show the illustrations again. Ask students to state their opinions about how the art adds to the enjoyment of the story.

This book would also make an excellent addition to a unit on the study of China. The unit could include China’s map, flag, national symbols, animals, plants, habitat, stories, songs and poems, national anthem, simple language expressions, food, games, crafts, costumes, and dances.