ANNOTATION

Little Horse confronts lightning, fire, and dangerous animals in his effort to return home to his mother and the valley of the little horses.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Little Horse had never known the sky to be so black, the air so still. He heard the big horses whinny again. Little Horse's fear grew.

The adventures of Little Horse continue as he makes his
way back to the valley of little horses and his mother

The storm sets Little Horse free from the fence holding him captive, free to do what he has wanted to do since the day the river carried him around its bend and away from his home-find his way back to the valley of the little horses and his mother.

But where should he turn, and how will he ever return home alive with all of the obstacles facing him?

Travel with Little Horse as he struggles against unfriendly horses, a malicious bird, a pouncing cat, a smoky fire, and more to find his way home.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-Byars continues the gentle fantasy begun in Little Horse (Holt, 2002). The diminutive animal has begun to make himself comfortable in his new home among humans, but he still dreams of his old life in the Valley of Little Horses. A frightening thunderstorm wreaks havoc on the farm and frees him from his tiny stable. Finding himself on his own, he narrowly escapes the claws of the cat and makes his way to the stream that he knows will lead him home once again. But first he must escape a forest fire and a predatory bird. As in the first book, Byars masterfully conveys Little Horse's naive perspective. The prose is clear and uncluttered, and the action moves crisply. Readers who've enjoyed the first book will relish the scenes that show how the protagonist's character has grown and find this a satisfying sequel to his earlier adventures. Once again, author and illustrator effectively pool their considerable talents to create a landscape that is both believably familiar and dreamily fantastic. McPhail's charming, full-page and spot pencil drawings help fill in the details, and an endpaper map traces Little Horse's journey home. Children who enjoyed Ursula Le Guin's "Catwings" series (Orchard) and Kathleen Duey's "The Unicorn's Secret" series (Aladdin) will welcome this tale.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this fast-paced sequel to Little Horse (2002), perilous events transport the diminutive Little Horse back to his beloved Valley of Little Horses. When a fierce storm pushes a tree onto Little Horse's tiny stable, he escapes into the big stable, where a yellow-eyed cat chases him into a mouse hole. Little Horse escapes again, only to encounter wild horses, a wild fire, and a wild bird of prey. Evading each ordeal, Little Horse perseveres, eventually stumbling upon a familiar waterfall and home. Although text and illustrations allude to Little Horse's miniature size, the story assumes readers are familiar with Little Horse. And while soft black-and-white illustrations provide snap-shot highlights of Little Horse's action-packed adventures, they are not always in sequence with the text. An easy-read chapter book of modest depth with a plucky equine hero and lots of action. (Fiction. 5-9)