All About Horses

by Kelly Milner Halls

Learn how much there is to love about horses—for kids ages 6 to 9

Do you know a young horse lover who dreams of riding a horse? Or loves to learn about what it takes to care for one? All About Horses can teach them! They’ll saddle up and become a horse expert as they read up on what horses eat, all the gear that keeps horses strong and healthy, and how to get started with riding.

With detailed chapters and gorgeous illustrations, kids will take a look at the most popular horse breeds and what makes them special—like the big and strong Clydesdale and the lean and fast Tennesse Walker. They’ll even learn about how horses communicate with humans and how to build a loving bond that lasts a lifetime.


Facts and quizzes—Kids will learn fun bonus facts about horses—like how fast they can gallop!—and find quizzes at the end of every chapter, including one about what kind of horse they’d be.

Jokes and questions—Discover silly jokes that kids can share with friends and fascinating questions that test their horse knowledge.

For newly independent readers—This book features large font, short paragraphs, and chapters broken up into sections so kids feel a sense of success and accomplishment as they read.


Any horse-loving little one will enjoy the fascinating facts and illustrations in this colorful book about horses!

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

80 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2021

About the author

Kelly Milner Halls specializes in high interest, well researched nonfiction for young readers. Her books include TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS, SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH and ALIEN INVESTIGATION. But she is also an avid YA fan and loves realistic fiction including GIRL MEETS BOY, the anthology she edited for Chronicle (January 2012). Her first short story is in that anthology. She hopes it won't be her last. When she's not writing or doing school visits, she works for her friend and mentor Chris Crutcher in Spokane.

Reviews

[Gary Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a Little Free Library in our yard. Recently a seven-year old neighbor was looking through it, so I asked her what kinds of books she likes. Her answer: “Anything about animals, especially horses!”

Just like her, many kids are horse lovers. Some of them have actual experience with horses; others are horse dreamers. Our oldest daughter was a suburban kid who took a few riding lessons, loved horse books and movies, and collected dozens of model horses. With all this in mind, I have no doubt that an enthusiastic audience is waiting for All About Horses (Rockridge Press, 2021), the newest book from Kelly Milner Halls, the prolific author of Saving the Baghdad Zoo, In Search of Sasquatch, Death Eaters, Voices of Young Heroes, and many more titles.

A lot of horse books for kids are already in print. Most of them offer nice photographs and sterile facts. All About Horses is different in that the information it contains never loses sight of the emotional connection that horse lovers feel. Whether Milner Halls is discussing breeds and types of horses, aspects of horse care, or advice about riding, she always appeals to the love and wonder that horses can create. For example, in the introduction to the “Horseback Riding” chapter, Milner Halls writes, “You’ll discover why kindness is much better than fear when your best friend is a powerful horse.”

The suggested audience for All About Horses is ages 6-9, and the main text will be manageable for most young readers in that range, but they will also be engaged and motivated to read and re-read by the features accompanying the main text. These include horse jokes; sidebars about notable horses, including Secretariat, Black Beauty, Trigger, and others; and thought-provoking questions such as “Does a horse enjoy its daily grooming sessions, or does it wish they would stop?” I predict that the most popular feature will be the survey quizzes at the end of each chapter that match readers with various areas of horse knowledge (“What Is Your Horse Telling You?”, “Which Horse Is Best for Your Lifestyle?”). The beauty of these quizzes is that they reinforce the information from the chapter while helping readers understand how it relates to them personally.

Milner Halls and illustrator Jessie Willow Tucker show their sensitivity to issues of inclusion in several ways. Tucker’s warm illustrations present a diverse range of children interacting with horses. Milner Halls includes a section about horses trained as service animals. An “Equine Extra” near the end is addressed to young horse lovers who have no access to actual horses: “If you love horses but you can’t have one, check out today’s best model horses.” This section goes on to explain the hobby of collecting model horses.

The inviting cover will attract young horse lovers who are likely to return to this book over and over as it sparks both conversations and daydreams about horses. You might want multiple copies of this title.

Thanks for Callisto Media for an advance look at All About Horses in exchange for this honest review.

Parts of this review appeared on other sites in slightly different forms.

[Kim Rioux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

I really liked this book! It made me learn more about horses! I love riding though I am allergic to horses! I take medicine but it is all worth it!

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim but thorough book is an ideal choice for kids age 6-9, as designated, but would also serve as an effective introduction for older readers just getting curious and involved with horses. At only eighty pages, including colorful illustrations, interspersed quizzes and jokes and informational tidbits, every reader will come away with a wealth of information about horses as well as a sense of the potential for deep relationships with these noble animals.
Halls provides compact and compelling information on each of the subtitle categories: the history of horses as a species, the variations and functions of different breeds, their needs and the what-and-why-and-how of keeping a horse healthy, and a how-to section on actually mounting and riding a horse. It’s a remarkable array of well-organized content, delivered with lighthearted humor, accurate information, and in digestible portions with fun-sized breaks for humor and interactivity.
This works well as a front-to-back read, or as a dip-and sip source for various aspects of information. The table of contents offers simple chapter titles, and back matter includes a glossary of terms, kid-friendly book and website sources, as well as resources to document reliability of information. Halls has produced a must-have new title for anyone involved with (or hoping to be involved with) horses, while reassuring readers who are unable to do so that there are ways indulge a love of horses through other outlets. This adult reader learned quite a bit, including discovering this new title is an ideal gift for several young friends and relatives.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All About Horses - A Kid's Guide to Breeds, Care, Riding, and More (for ages 6-9) by Kelly Milner Halls is chock full of information about horses. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of horses. From the types to horses to the jobs that horses can do, each chapter adds to your knowledge base of horses. There are cute quizzes at the end of each chapter that tells you what kind of horse you are. The illustrations also add a layer of understanding. I would recommend this book for young kids who love horses.

*** I received an advanced copy of the book to review.

[Pete Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is perfect for children who are developing an interest in horses. There is a little history of how horses have been used but mostly it's a primer regarding topics such as behavior, traits, types and breeds, equipment, and care of horses. Each short section is filled with interesting facts. Chapters are interspersed with quizzes and jokes/riddles. There are also plenty of excellent illustrations and the reading is not too dense for a seven or eight-year old. I would recommend this book for any child who is just learning to ride.

[Kai Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This book was a 10/10. My favourite kind of horse is a quarter horse. I love horses and I want to be a farmer.” -Kai age 5

[Susan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have loved this book as a young girl, being totally in love with horses--even though I never had one of my own. The book is written for early elementary with simple language and many illustrations. However, it still contains a lot of information. It is valuable for any child who owns a horse, hopes to own a horse, or just dreams of horses. It tells about different types of horses, how to care for horses, and how horses communicate, among other things. Fun facts about the history or horses or famous horses add interest. And playful quizzes are spread throughout the book.

I shared this book with my grandson, who just finished first grade. He was able to read most of it and seemed interested. He particularly enjoyed the quizzes. (He was especially proud that, according to one quiz, if he were a horse, he would be a stallion.) Recommended book. Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchanges for an honest review.)

[Dalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know much about horses before reading this book. It is very informative and if you love horses then this is the perfect book for you.