Sierra (Spirit of the Cimarron)
Grades 4-6--Sierra goes from wild horse to semi-tame in this story. She is accidentally separated from the rest of the horses, almost dies, but meets a young stallion that leads her to a Native American village. There a patient child accustoms her to humans and Sierra bears a foal, Rain. Each of the 12 chapters starts with Sierra's brief italicized reminiscences, followed by a third-person narration that fleshes them out. While there is much anthropomorphism, it is usually consistent with a horse's reality. However, the story line is only moderately compelling. Sierra's early life is rich with wild-horse behavior and herd interaction but the mare seems as much an observer as a participant. The other horses whose lives readers become involved with then disappear from the scene and children follow her almost reluctantly into her new life. The ending is not conclusive, but from reading about the DreamWorks film mentioned on the back cover (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron), it is clear that Rain is a main character in the movie and that this story serves primarily to supply her background. With its handsome jacket illustration, it should attract horse lovers. Amy C. Laundrie's Whinny of the Wild Horses (Four Winds, 1990; o.p.) is a better story but movie fans will enjoy Sierra.Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.