PBOTD: 27th January, Jessie Haas - Appaloosa Zebra

Jessie Haas is one of my favourite American horse story authors. She seems to be able to write for any age, from pre-schooler to teenager. Appaloosa Zebra - a Horse Lover's Alphabet (2002) is a delight. The book doesn't just cover breeds, which it does, from the obvious like Clydesdales, to the obscure, but also other horsey goodies like hard hats and hacks.

Greenwillow Books, New York, 2002, illus Margot Apple
I have done a lot of reading aloud in my time, and there some books my children were obsessed with that made me want to run for the hills when they asked for them, yet again. This is definitely not one I would have edited as I went along, invented new incidents for out of desperation, or have suppressed. There's plenty there for the adult too - marvel, say at the fact the Icelandic Yakult is a breed of horse that's, so far, escaped you.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Margot Apple, who worked with Haas on the excellent Runaway Radish and Scamper and the Horse Show 

internal illustration

Sadly Appaloosa Zebra is no longer in print, but it is reasonably easy to find secondhand.

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You can find out more about Jessie Haas on her website, and she also has a page on my website.

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