Gigi, the Story of a Merry-Go-Round Horse

by Elizabeth Foster

This children's classic, first published in 1943, relates the travels and adventures of a carousel horse. Gigi is the favorite horse of the children who ride the carousel in the Prater in old Vienna. When WWI breaks out, the carousel is dismantled and Gigi finds himself on his way to a small merry-go-round in Paris. Further adventures take him to London and eventually to America. On each carousel, Gigi forms strong friendships with children whom he dearly misses when he is forced to move on. (Of course carousel horses can talk with children who have not yet outgrown the saddle). The story ends with a happy surprise that will delight the young readers who have also befriended this special merry-go-round horse.

Gigi was a very unusual merry-go-round horse. His mother was a pine tree and his father the wind that sweeps through the Vienna woods. But when Gigi came to the merry-go-round in the park in Vienna, he was quite frightened and shied at the gold ring. The children wouldn't ride him until Lili helped him jump for the rings, and he became the favorite horse of all, even of the little prince. These days were to happy to last. When World War I came, the merry-go-round horses were disbanded, and Gigi, and alone and sad at being parted from Lili, found himself in Paris where he learned to speak French and was sold again to a man from England. How Gigi escaped from the junk man in the Caledonia Market in London, came to America, travelled the Maine coast with a band of gypsies, and met his beloved Lili again in New York's Central Park, brings his travels to a mysterious and heart-warming
conclusion.
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I first read GiGi, the Story of a Merry-go-round Horse when I was in the fifth grade. 37 years later I am still reading it and loving it.Set in pre WWI Vienna, Gigi, whose voice can only be heard by children until they outgrow his stirrups, canters in and out of the lives of many children, bringing joy to them.He loves the children deeply, particularly one little girl named Lili but it breaks his heart when he is often sold away from them. He has many adventures, traveling from Vienna to France and America but the story is mostly about love. Ms. Foster tells the tale simply, without condescending to her youthful audience. In fact, she treats the views and perceptions of the children with great respect. This story captures the magic of children and carousels and the simplicity of childlike joy, sorrow and faith. When I was ten, I would check it out of the library, read it with joy during the day and sleep with it under my pillow.

Genres: Childrens

118 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Elizabeth Foster, daughter of Maximilian Foster (a writer/playwright) and Elizabeth Dickson, born 1905, was an U.S. writer and editor.

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My seven year old says, "this is one of my favorite books that I ever read. I want to give it a whole five stars. I wish it could be in print again. I especially love the ending."

When I was in second grade, I had a teacher that was fairly strict and prone to irritability. However, when spring rolled around, she called our whole class to the carpet and over the course of several weeks, read this book to us. She told us that someone read this to her when she was a little girl. Also that, she was inspired buy a real merry-go-round horse as an adult because of this book. I remember being absolutely transported while being read to. Not only because my teacher's irritability melted away and she was palpably, wistfully present while reading to us, but also because of the story itself.

Reading this to my own daughter (now in second grade) has been a transcendentally joyful experience. I stand by the fact that this is one of the greatest children's stories ever told.

[taytum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book randomly at a book market in Boston last summer with an address and name written on the inside “for Mary Anne Damon”, I looked up the house and it was nearby, and she’s probably much older than me now, but I thought it was really cool to see that someone else was gifted this book and considered that while reading. For starters, the artwork is beautiful, I have nothing to compare it to but I almost wish the entire book was in color. I enjoyed reading even as a 19 year old, I feel like I didn’t appreciate my books enough when I was the age this was intended for, and I hope I have a daughter or niece I can read this to one day. Also I wish I experienced the merry-go-rounds with the golden rings so bad wtf unfair

[virginialeesmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Circa 1943. My grandmother use to read this to me as a kid. Partly because it is about a carousel horse and partly because it is about WWII. Ie, when WWII breaks out, Gigi dismantled from the carousel and bummed out over the invading nazis..

[David]

This is my daughter's favorite book.

It's about the wonder in children's eyes, and what we lose as we (alas!) grow up. I always wanted to grow up. My girls knew childhood was a good deal, and didn't want to grow up, at least not quickly.

Quite poignant.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I remember reading and loving as a child.