Every horse lover, no matter how young or how old, can appreciate beautiful photography of different breeds. I Love Horses and Ponies: Over 50 Breeds, by Nicola Jane Swinney showcases well over 50 different shots of different horse and pony breeds. The photography is simply gorgeous, and done by award winning equestrian photographer Bob Langrish.
The layout of the pages is visually very effective – some pages have a doublespread photo, while others are tiled with three images. Each page also has a little semi-transparent rearing horse in the corner, with the page number inside.
But while horse lovers may be tempted to buy this just for the photos, I Love Horses and Ponies is a fantastic resource for children with an interest in horses to get to know the different breeds. Each breed has a brief description about their looks, origin, interesting facts, and/or behavioural characteristics. There is also a handy glossary in the back, and a size chart that helps distinguish the size differences between ponies, horses, and draft horses.
The book is recommended for ages 5+, but I think 8-10 year old girls with an interest in horses would love it the most.
REVIEWER: JJ McConnachie
TITLE: I Love Horses and Ponies: Over 50 Breeds
AUTHOR(S): Nicola Jane Swinney
PUBLISHER: New Holland
RRP: $19.99