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Magic Animal Rescue #1
Maggie and the Flying Horse
From beloved powerhouse author E. D. Baker comes a brand-new, illustrated chapter book series featuring a spirited heroine and the magical animals and creatures she encounters!
In this first book of a new chapter book series by E. D. Baker, one girl has the adventure of her young life!
Eight-year-old Maggie has a keen eye for noticing things in the Enchanted Forest that no one else does -- like unicorns, griffins, and tiny flying horses with wings. One day while Maggie is herding sheep with her pesky stepbrother, she stumbles upon an injured flying horse. The only way to help the horse is to take it to a kindly stableman named Bob, who cares for many different magical animals! But in order to do so, Maggie must set out on her own and journey through the Enchanted Forest, which is full of dangerous trolls and goblins who get in her way. Will Maggie reach Bob in time to save her new friend?
This new, black-and-white illustrated series is perfect for fans of Princess Ponies, Magic Horses, and Critter Club.
In this first book of a new chapter book series by E. D. Baker, one girl has the adventure of her young life!
Eight-year-old Maggie has a keen eye for noticing things in the Enchanted Forest that no one else does -- like unicorns, griffins, and tiny flying horses with wings. One day while Maggie is herding sheep with her pesky stepbrother, she stumbles upon an injured flying horse. The only way to help the horse is to take it to a kindly stableman named Bob, who cares for many different magical animals! But in order to do so, Maggie must set out on her own and journey through the Enchanted Forest, which is full of dangerous trolls and goblins who get in her way. Will Maggie reach Bob in time to save her new friend?
This new, black-and-white illustrated series is perfect for fans of Princess Ponies, Magic Horses, and Critter Club.
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2017
24 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
About the author
E.D. Baker
48 books1,592 followersE.D. Baker made her international debut in 2002 with The Frog Princess, which was a Texas Lone Star Reading List Book, A Book Sense Children's Pick, a Florida's Sunshine State Readers List pick & a 2006 Sasquatch Book Award nominee. The Frog Princess inspired the Disney's Princess and the Frog!
E. D. Baker was born in Buffalo, New York and spent most of the next eighteen years in the Town of Tonawanda with her older brother and her parents. She married her husband while in college, and had two children a few years after graduating from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When her son was four, the family moved to the state of Maryland. With two young children at home, E.D. worked part time in her husband’s business and took writing classes at the local community college. She continued taking writing classes after the birth of her second daughter, but when she and her husband divorced, she went back to school and entered the SIMAT (School Immersion Masters in the Art of Teaching) program at Johns Hopkins University. After graduating, she taught fifth grade until her parents’ health began to fail. Her son had already graduated from college when E.D. and her daughters moved north to be closer to her parents. Having gained a new perspective on what is important in life, E.D. decided that it was time to believe in herself and devoted her time to writing. Her first book, The Frog Princess, was published in 2002. E.D. has written 25 books to date and has no plans to quite writing anytime soon.
Currently E. D. Baker lives on a small farm in Maryland where she and her family breed Appaloosa horses. They also have dogs, cats and goats.
If you have a question or a comment for E. D. Baker regarding her books, you can e-mail her at edbakerbooks@gmail.com and she will try very hard to reply to your e-mails. (Just keep in mind it may take a while before she responds, because she is working on a new book for you to enjoy!) For updates, announcements on upcoming books and daily posts by E.D. Baker be sure to follow her on Facebook.
E. D. Baker was born in Buffalo, New York and spent most of the next eighteen years in the Town of Tonawanda with her older brother and her parents. She married her husband while in college, and had two children a few years after graduating from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When her son was four, the family moved to the state of Maryland. With two young children at home, E.D. worked part time in her husband’s business and took writing classes at the local community college. She continued taking writing classes after the birth of her second daughter, but when she and her husband divorced, she went back to school and entered the SIMAT (School Immersion Masters in the Art of Teaching) program at Johns Hopkins University. After graduating, she taught fifth grade until her parents’ health began to fail. Her son had already graduated from college when E.D. and her daughters moved north to be closer to her parents. Having gained a new perspective on what is important in life, E.D. decided that it was time to believe in herself and devoted her time to writing. Her first book, The Frog Princess, was published in 2002. E.D. has written 25 books to date and has no plans to quite writing anytime soon.
Currently E. D. Baker lives on a small farm in Maryland where she and her family breed Appaloosa horses. They also have dogs, cats and goats.
If you have a question or a comment for E. D. Baker regarding her books, you can e-mail her at edbakerbooks@gmail.com and she will try very hard to reply to your e-mails. (Just keep in mind it may take a while before she responds, because she is working on a new book for you to enjoy!) For updates, announcements on upcoming books and daily posts by E.D. Baker be sure to follow her on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 22, 2019
Living in the Enchanted Forest, the eponymous Maggie is always seeing magical creatures of various kinds. Unfortunately, her new stepmother Zelia and her step-brother Peter cannot also see them, and believe that Maggie is lying about them. When Maggie injures a tiny winged horse, she therefore doesn't turn to her family for help, instead setting off to find Bob the Stableman, a caretaker of fantastic animals once mentioned by her grandmother...
Having read and enjoyed a few of E.D. Baker's middle-grade fantasy novels a few years back, I was curious to see what she would do with this simple, beginning chapter-book series about a girl who rescues magical creatures. This seems to be a popular idea right now, to judge from Paula Harrison's The Secret Rescuers series, written for a similar age group, and Adams Gidwitz's Unicorn Rescue Society books, which are aimed at slightly older readers. However that may be, I picked up Maggie and the Flying Horse with some anticipation, given my familiarity with the author. Unfortunately, I found it rather pedestrian, and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I had hoped to. I don't read as many beginning chapter-books as I feel that I should, for work - something I hope to remedy, over the coming months - so at first I wondered whether the story simply wasn't complex enough to engage me. As a prolific picture-book reader however, one who often enjoys books with a very spare text, I suspect that this is simply not the case. I think the real problem here is twofold: first, Baker relies too heavily on stock characters like the wicked stepmother and the kindly stable hand, leading to a story where the cast all feel like types, rather than people, and are curiously unsympathetic. Second, Maggie encounters so many fantastic creatures over the course of the story, many of them only briefly described, that these meetings simply don't feel magical. There's no sense of enchantment here, no sense that something wondrous is occurring.
Despite this lukewarm reaction on my part, I do intend to continue with the Magic Animal Rescue series, as I have all four volumes checked out right now, and because (as mentioned) I want to increase my familiarity with books intended for this audience. Perhaps they improve, as one proceeds.
Having read and enjoyed a few of E.D. Baker's middle-grade fantasy novels a few years back, I was curious to see what she would do with this simple, beginning chapter-book series about a girl who rescues magical creatures. This seems to be a popular idea right now, to judge from Paula Harrison's The Secret Rescuers series, written for a similar age group, and Adams Gidwitz's Unicorn Rescue Society books, which are aimed at slightly older readers. However that may be, I picked up Maggie and the Flying Horse with some anticipation, given my familiarity with the author. Unfortunately, I found it rather pedestrian, and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I had hoped to. I don't read as many beginning chapter-books as I feel that I should, for work - something I hope to remedy, over the coming months - so at first I wondered whether the story simply wasn't complex enough to engage me. As a prolific picture-book reader however, one who often enjoys books with a very spare text, I suspect that this is simply not the case. I think the real problem here is twofold: first, Baker relies too heavily on stock characters like the wicked stepmother and the kindly stable hand, leading to a story where the cast all feel like types, rather than people, and are curiously unsympathetic. Second, Maggie encounters so many fantastic creatures over the course of the story, many of them only briefly described, that these meetings simply don't feel magical. There's no sense of enchantment here, no sense that something wondrous is occurring.
Despite this lukewarm reaction on my part, I do intend to continue with the Magic Animal Rescue series, as I have all four volumes checked out right now, and because (as mentioned) I want to increase my familiarity with books intended for this audience. Perhaps they improve, as one proceeds.
June 28, 2018
***Rated by my daughter***
November 9, 2023
This was fine but I'm definitely not eager to continue with the series. This is a completely fantastical world and thats just not my jam. There are gnomes, trolls, unicorns, tiny flying animals, etc. In this one she finds a tiny dragonfly (A unicorn butterfly hybrid) and she accidentally breaks his wing so she takes him to Bob-- the magic animal healer.
March 11, 2018
What's wrong with saying "pegasus" instead of "flying horse?" The unicorn who lays his head in Maggie's lap isn't referred to as "horse with a horn." This is very much a book for young readers, but "pegasus" is phonetic. Please.
I needed a very short book to get me from the library to my house because NPR was having a really inane gun debate. When one person is advocating a bump stock ban and the other person is talking about freedom plus mental health funding, there's nothing happening. Kids in the target audience for Maggie and the Flying Horse are practicing active shooter drills. Good heavens. Maggie has a run-in with a troll and a goblin sighting in the same day, toss up on whether that's more dangerous than a school shooting. She also accidentally injures a tiny pegasus, or "horsefly." Get it? So she does the decent thing and takes it to Bob, the healer of magical creatures, who splints its wing and teaches Maggie a bit about animals.
Criticisms: The Enchanted Forest is magical in a profoundly generic way. Maggie's stepfamily doesn't believe in magical creatures at all even though they're in perpetual danger of troll and goblin attack, and the king is obviously funding Bob, granting legitimacy to the region's cryptozoological diversity.
Strengths: Cute. Pink and purple sparkles. Unicorns. Good magical science. Maggie is clever and resourceful but also a bit petulant; good character. This has the potential to be a very interesting series and I would be totally into it if I were a second grader.
I needed a very short book to get me from the library to my house because NPR was having a really inane gun debate. When one person is advocating a bump stock ban and the other person is talking about freedom plus mental health funding, there's nothing happening. Kids in the target audience for Maggie and the Flying Horse are practicing active shooter drills. Good heavens. Maggie has a run-in with a troll and a goblin sighting in the same day, toss up on whether that's more dangerous than a school shooting. She also accidentally injures a tiny pegasus, or "horsefly." Get it? So she does the decent thing and takes it to Bob, the healer of magical creatures, who splints its wing and teaches Maggie a bit about animals.
Criticisms: The Enchanted Forest is magical in a profoundly generic way. Maggie's stepfamily doesn't believe in magical creatures at all even though they're in perpetual danger of troll and goblin attack, and the king is obviously funding Bob, granting legitimacy to the region's cryptozoological diversity.
Strengths: Cute. Pink and purple sparkles. Unicorns. Good magical science. Maggie is clever and resourceful but also a bit petulant; good character. This has the potential to be a very interesting series and I would be totally into it if I were a second grader.
April 25, 2017
As a big fan of E.D. Baker's The Frog Princess series, I am delighted to see she has spread her magical strong fairy tale characters into stories for younger readers. Maggie and the Flying Horse is a delightful first title in the series, with its mean stepmother and unkind stepbrother, the perfect setting for poor young Maggie to survive, and help the tiny unicorn she accidentally hurts. The fanciful flying animals are believable and add spice to this gentle beautifully written fairy tale. The illustrations and large print make it so reader friendly and charming. This title will be happily gobbled up in our library.
February 25, 2018
In this story a girl named Maggie finds a horse that's magic. She also makes a new friend. He was a man. He gave her a present.It was a magic present.
I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS I LOVE BOOKS!
I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS I LOVE BOOKS!
September 28, 2019
A really cute children's series.
June 6, 2017
I loved this book because Maggie saw a horsefly, a horse with wings like a butterfly. She also met a man named Bob (dad likes stories about Bob), he gave her a journal under a spell to know if it was stolen. They face troll goblins and all kinds of trouble like a new mom who is really mean. Maggie accidentally hurts the horsefly and has to travel to see Bob in order to help with horsefly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2018
This reminded me so my of Cinderella. Maggie lives with her dad, stepmother Zelia, and her children. Her oldest boy Peter is Maggie's age while all the rest are younger. He sleeps in the loft with the other children while Maggie sleeps in her own bed that her father made for her. Her father is off cutting woods on the other sideas of the forest. While he is away Peter is away Zelia sends Maggie with Peter to help with chores but he always ends up leaving her behind somehow. Then he tells his mother she didn't help with the chores so the step mother tells her if she doesn't help she will loose her bed to Peter since he deserves a good night's rest. Whole out in the woods herding the sheep Maggie is left behind and comes across magical creatures. One is harmed so she takes it to a man named Bob who is said to help magical creatures. Bob takes her home and decides he doesn't like the family so offers Maggie time away by telling her to come help him out at the stables and giving her a journal to write down all the magical animals she comes across to help her learn more about them.
This is such a fun book and seeing how Maggie seems to be a magnet for magical creature and how they all interact with her is interesting. My daughter and I are enjoying the second book now. Which seems to continue where this one leave off. The father is still gone and her step mother and bother are no nice to her at all. The consequences for things she can not control are unreasonable.
This is such a fun book and seeing how Maggie seems to be a magnet for magical creature and how they all interact with her is interesting. My daughter and I are enjoying the second book now. Which seems to continue where this one leave off. The father is still gone and her step mother and bother are no nice to her at all. The consequences for things she can not control are unreasonable.
October 18, 2020
Maggie’s father has gone away to chop wood, leaving her with her nasty stepmother and step siblings. Maggie loves the enchanted forest near her house, but when she talks about the magical animals inside, her stepfamily thinks she is lying and shirking her duties. When Maggie accidentally injures a creature she goes in search of help, and maybe finds a new friend.
A pink and sparkly cover, featuring an adorable miniature flying horse? You know who will like this book. It’s cute enough. I like the fairy tale twist, but wish the backstory was explained a bit more. Would recommend.
A pink and sparkly cover, featuring an adorable miniature flying horse? You know who will like this book. It’s cute enough. I like the fairy tale twist, but wish the backstory was explained a bit more. Would recommend.
January 6, 2021
Normally I don't rate kids books, but my daughter is currently in a stage where everything must be magic and some of the books out there are torture, so fellow parents, this book review is for you.
It was easy enough where my 2nd grader could read most of it on her own, with help here and there. And entertaining enough where I enjoyed reading it with her. The chapters are short enough where she could read a full one. We were able to read this in about 3 or 4 nights, her reading a chapter and then me reading a few more. This is definitely a series I will continue reading with her.
It was easy enough where my 2nd grader could read most of it on her own, with help here and there. And entertaining enough where I enjoyed reading it with her. The chapters are short enough where she could read a full one. We were able to read this in about 3 or 4 nights, her reading a chapter and then me reading a few more. This is definitely a series I will continue reading with her.
June 23, 2018
First in a fantasy series for younger readers full of strange creatures, unicorns, and flying horses and pigs, is complete with wicked step mother and step brother, an absent father, a hero is is perfect, in a saccharine kind of way, and it should not work, but somehow it is engaging and does work, and gives you enough questions about the world that has been created to want to know what will happen.
August 18, 2025
TL;DR: there are way better early chapter books about kids helping magical creatures - Zoey & Sassafras and Magical Rescue Vets are two that I love - so skip this one.
This felt like it was written by committee/robot vs an author. I don't love that she meets Bob the stable hand and becomes BFFs with him without any parental oversight - not something I'd want my kids to do. Just sloppy worldbuilding and character building, so we will skip.
This felt like it was written by committee/robot vs an author. I don't love that she meets Bob the stable hand and becomes BFFs with him without any parental oversight - not something I'd want my kids to do. Just sloppy worldbuilding and character building, so we will skip.
July 13, 2018
Bookaday #43. Cute, illustrated easy chapter book about magical creatures, main character has a mean stepmother and father who is away, lending a Cinderella feel to the book. Author has adapted many fairy tales, this one for the beginner chapter book readers. Large font, uncomplicated vocabulary.
September 18, 2019
This is a very cute story. Just that it was kinda weird to hear them refer to the tiny pegasus as a "horsefly" throughout.
I grew up in MS, where a "horsefly" is a big fly that will bite you pretty badly. So, it's weird to hear the "flying horse" called that.
I grew up in MS, where a "horsefly" is a big fly that will bite you pretty badly. So, it's weird to hear the "flying horse" called that.
March 19, 2024
<3 What a nice concept and charming book series. I hope to read more. This couldn't hold my daughter's attention very well for some reason but I loved it personally. It's got a very Grimm overtone to it with evil step siblings.
August 23, 2025
3 ⭐️ // my almost 6 yo brought this home from library at school & was excited to read it but it was just kind of boring for her? She enjoyed sitting with me & reading it together, but we’re not eager to continue in the series.
August 22, 2018
This book is great for younger kids! It's a very easy read, and was lots of fun :)
October 24, 2018
Leah loves these. I find them a wee bit wordy. AND NOT ENOUGH PICTURES.
December 29, 2019
When Maggie accidentally hurt the flying horse, she believed in her grandma's story and went to see if the Bob the stableman was actually behind the castle.
April 25, 2020
Quick kids audiobook, listened with my 4 year old. Was a nice little story enjoyed by all.
May 29, 2020
My daughter and I love it!! We can't wait to read the next ones in this series!!!
August 28, 2022
My daughter really loves this series and I must say that several series made for this age group are so annoying to me i can hardly read them to her. This one, we both like.
December 2, 2023
I loved it!
July 26, 2024
Cute.
August 6, 2024
My 9 year old says: “I loved the characters and I didn’t think it would be as good as it was since it was the ‘start book’ (first in the series)!”
March 9, 2025
Amazing book I loved it when I was younger it was a core memory of my childhood and I recommend it to all
May 7, 2025
Reading this series with my daughter and she's loving it!
dnf
November 11, 2025Unfortunately had references to frog curses and kissing princesses. Don't like that for an early chapter book.
June 6, 2017
This early chapter book is perfect for those readers who are just starting to tackle longer books. The short chapters use wide margins and a large font, and black-and-white digital illustrations are included throughout. The straightforward text easily conveys the story, which involves an uncomplicated plot. Although the story is brief, children in grades 2-4 who enjoy tales about magical creatures will look forward to the next installment in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews