A Horse's Tale
“Hear ye, hear ye,”
Crier sang.
The horse let out a snort.
“Garrick’s horse is acting
odd, I’m sorry to report!” |
One day my editor called me and asked me if I’d be interested in writing a picture book for Colonial Williamsburg. They wanted the book to feature characters that were first created as plush dolls. At first I thought hmmm…I don’t know much about Colonial Williamsburg! Besides that, I had never written a story before where the main characters existed already as cute little plush dolls! But after some research and assurance from my editor that I would have lots of flexibility to be creative, I decided to write the book. I was thrilled that Margie Moore would be illustrating because I am a BIG fan of her work (Ruby’s Perfect Day and Bear of my Heart).
I wanted to make horses central to the story after reading about how important they were in colonial times. The main characters of the story are Margaret the milliner, Ben the blacksmith and Garrick the gardener. I added a grocer, apothecary, 16 tailors (there were about that many in Colonial Williamsburg!) a music teacher, a town crier, and of course- two horses.
 In A Horse’s Tale Garrick’s horse is feeling sad and acting out of sorts. Everyone in Colonial Williamsburg tries to cheer him up. Margaret the milliner sews a counterpane for the horse’s back, and Ben the blacksmith checks the horseshoes to make sure they aren’t on too tight. The grocer mixes oats and sugar, the apothecary stirs a special brew, and the music teacher sings a happy song. All the while, Town Crier keeps the folks of Colonial Williamsburg up-to-date on how the horse is fairing. But nothing seems to cheer the horse  until… they all discover that friendship is the best cure.
A Horse’s Tale(written in rhyme) is a fun way for children to learn about life in colonial times. The book includes a glossary that highlights period words and terms.
www.colonialwilliamsburg.com |
| |
| Read the Reviews |
| |
School Library Journal
LUBNER, Susan. A Horse’s Tale: A Colonial Williamsburg Adventure. illus. by Margie Moore. PreS-Gr 1–Several residents of Colonial Williamsburg do their best to find out what is ailing Garrick the Gardener’s horse. In a rhyming text, the characters are introduced and briefly described in terms of how they try to help the animal. The blacksmith checks its shoes, the milliner sews a blanket, the apothecary makes a special brew, etc. Through it all, the town crier acts as narrator, summing up the action. A glossary goes into more detail about the jobs, items, and places found in this colonial settlement. The watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations depict all of the participants as cheerful cuddly animals who talk and dress as people ...This book would make a nice introduction to Williamsburg for very young visitors.
–Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, VA |
| |
Booklist
"...lovingly recreates scenes featuring the historical buildings and the costumed folk of colonial Williamsburg...'
|
| |
Kirkus Review
"...child-friendly illustrations and a bouncy rhyme, this is just right to introduce very young visitors to Colonial Williamsburg"
|
| |
Pamela Sacks Worcester Telegram and Gazette
"Lubner has a special talent for rhyme, and the book’s illustrator, Margie Moore, captured the ambience of (Colonial Williamsburg) and the feel of the story through whimsical artwork."
|
| |
|
