Robert the Rose Horse

Category:Former Groiler Beginner Book Series
Category:The Big Red Book of Beginner Books
Category:Beginner Books Read-Along and Cassettes
Robert the Rose House is a 1962 Beginner Book written by Joan Heilbroner, with illustrations by P.D. Eastman.
== Plot ==
Robert is a happy little horse. He lives in a farm with his mother and father. One day, Robert is having a birthday party to which all of his animal friends are invited. When it's time for cake, Robert's mom puts the cake on the table as Robert's friends sing him Happy Birthday. Around the cake are beautiful red roses. Robert likes the roses. He takes a sniff, but then he gets a funny feeling. His eyes and nose begins to itch, and then... KERCHOO! Robert sneezes, blowing everything away.
Robert's mother calls the doctor. When the doctor examines Robert, he knows what makes him sneeze. He gives him a vase of roses. Robert takes a little sniff and then sneezes again, causing destruction to the doctor's office. The doctor sees that he was right. He tells Robert that roses are very bad for him and there are too many of them on the farm. So, Robert goes to the city to find a job and hopes to find no roses.
At the city, Robert gets a job as a wagon horse for a milk wagon. It's a good job, and Robert likes it. But one day, Robert sees a man with a rose on his coat. Robert sniffs it and sneezes him down, as well as some destruction to the milk wagon. The milkman then fires Robert.
After a tough time searching for another job, Robert sees some equestrians, and decides to work for horseback riding. The equestrian job manager hires Robert and instructs him to do whatever he is told. When he's told to go slow, he goes slow. When he's told to go fast, he goes fast. Robert does everything he's told, and likes his new job.
Then one day he takes a woman for a ride. She spots a flower stand and tells Robert to take her there as she wants to buy some roses. Robert nervously approaches the stand and sniffs the roses. He sneezes everything down and is fired again.
After another hard search for another job, Robert finally sees that a police department is hiring a police horse. Robert comes in and asks for the job as a police horse, and comes out dressed in a police hat and coat. He does all kinds of police work. Then one day, three bad guys go into a bank. They all dash out, their bag filled with money. The bank alarm sounds. Someone shouts for help. Alerted, Robert discovers the bank robbers! Robert tries to stop them, but they run him over. Robert has to find a way to bust the robbers fast. While thinking, he sees a girl with a rose in her hair. Getting an idea, Robert sniffs the rose, and then...
= KERCHOO! =
Robert's powerful sneeze knocks down the three robbers. Everyone cheers for Robert, while the city police arrest the robbers.
The next day there is a party. Everyone comes - Robert's parents, his farm friends, the doctor, and all the police. One of the police comes to Robert to reward him with something special. It's a sash made of roses, with white text saying "THANK YOU, ROBERT". The doctor is horrified that Robert will sneeze everyone to Chicago. Happily, when the police horse sniffs it, he does NOT get that funny feeling. His eyes and nose do NOT itch. Robert at last is all sneezed out, and roses never make him sneeze again.
== Trivia ==
* This is the first Beginner Book written by Joan Heilbroner.
* This is the second Book illustrated only by P.D. Eastman.
* Early covers of the book feature a red background. The 2000 cover background is blue.