Cheyenne Medicine Hat
Grade 4-8–This story leads readers through a summer in the life of a Medicine Hat mustang that runs wild with her herd through the Cheyenne River plains. The large-sized book is composed of full-page oils opposite long sections of text and interspersed with double-page paintings. The illustrations do a terrific job of bringing life to the horses and the setting. One of the strongest pictures shows mustangers trying to trap the herd's lone stallion, which is rearing in fright, set against a bright red background. Even the endpaper sketches deliver a sense of movement and energy. The poetic tale gives a glimpse into the hardships and freedoms the mare faces. She must stay alert to protect her band from humans and wild animals. Heinz has enriched the narrative with the vocabulary of the prairie, making readers truly a part of the animal's survival.–Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.