Carla B. (puppyluv) reviewed on + 552 more book reviews
Annotation
Young Alec Ramsay is shipwrecked on a desert island with a horse destined to play an important part in his life. Following their rescue their adventure continues in America.
From the Publisher
First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.
From The Critics
Children's Literature
Pulled to a desert island by a wild black stallion he has freed during a shipwreck at sea, then rescued by a southbound freighter, a seventeen year old boy befriends the horse, trains him by night, and rides him to victory in a match race. Available for more than fifty years, this story will appeal to girls and boys who dream of owning and riding a horse.
School Library Journal
Gr 1-3 Farley has undertaken another adaptation of his perpetually popular book, this time for readers not yet ready to tackle his The Black Stallion Picture Book (Random, 1979). This version is based on the ``Wild horse rescues boy'' segment of both the original story and the 1979 movie tie-in, from which a few sentences are repeated word-for-word. Writing in a bare-bones primer style, the author has pared down the adventures of Alec and the Black to a basic plot. Short, simple sentences describe the shipwreck, the struggle to survive, and the rescue that are already familiar to the millions of children who have seen the movie. Although the text is unremarkable, the illustrations succeed in recapturing the thrills of the ultimate child/horse fantasy. Drawing in pen-and-ink with a watercolor wash, Rabinowitz portrays the Black stallion as an exquisite, long-legged Arabian, with a strong resemblance to the real-life equine star, ``Cass Ole.'' Double-page spreads alternate with single-page illustrations, and they serve to convey the story independent of the text. Combined with the obvious appeal of the subject, the effective artwork makes this book a sure-fire winner for young horse fanciers. Charlene Strickland, Los Angeles County Public Library, Valencia
Young Alec Ramsay is shipwrecked on a desert island with a horse destined to play an important part in his life. Following their rescue their adventure continues in America.
From the Publisher
First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.
From The Critics
Children's Literature
Pulled to a desert island by a wild black stallion he has freed during a shipwreck at sea, then rescued by a southbound freighter, a seventeen year old boy befriends the horse, trains him by night, and rides him to victory in a match race. Available for more than fifty years, this story will appeal to girls and boys who dream of owning and riding a horse.
School Library Journal
Gr 1-3 Farley has undertaken another adaptation of his perpetually popular book, this time for readers not yet ready to tackle his The Black Stallion Picture Book (Random, 1979). This version is based on the ``Wild horse rescues boy'' segment of both the original story and the 1979 movie tie-in, from which a few sentences are repeated word-for-word. Writing in a bare-bones primer style, the author has pared down the adventures of Alec and the Black to a basic plot. Short, simple sentences describe the shipwreck, the struggle to survive, and the rescue that are already familiar to the millions of children who have seen the movie. Although the text is unremarkable, the illustrations succeed in recapturing the thrills of the ultimate child/horse fantasy. Drawing in pen-and-ink with a watercolor wash, Rabinowitz portrays the Black stallion as an exquisite, long-legged Arabian, with a strong resemblance to the real-life equine star, ``Cass Ole.'' Double-page spreads alternate with single-page illustrations, and they serve to convey the story independent of the text. Combined with the obvious appeal of the subject, the effective artwork makes this book a sure-fire winner for young horse fanciers. Charlene Strickland, Los Angeles County Public Library, Valencia
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