After several visits to study Icelandic sagas, Nancy Brown returns to Iceland to search for the perfect Icelandic horse, one she can bring back to her Pennsylvania farm and make her own. To do so, she must become part of the country's tightly knit horse-breeding community, which can be wary of outsiders and extremely protective of the world-famous breed. In this clear-eyed, evocative account set against Iceland's austere and majestic landscape, she describes what makes Icelandic horses and their owners so distinctive. She also discovers her limitations as a horsewoman and learns much about what she is looking for-in a horse and in her life.

When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than her family’s ranch—even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he’s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring—buyers’ heads—and Abby knows Daddy won’t turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack’s mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from The Georges and the Jewels.

Color has fascinated horse lovers for centuries, and the story of the formation of the different breeds is closely tied to the subject of color. The Equine Tapestry explores the role color has played, both from a historical perspective and in changing trends of the modern horse world. Combining a modern understanding of genetics with a wealth of historical documentation, this series gives a more complete picture of the founding of the different breeds and shows how this relates to the unusual colors popular in the present day. An Introduction to Colors and Patterns opens the series with a look at the different colors and patterns, giving detailed explanations written in plain English. Full color photos and illustrations are used throughout to enhance the text.

A disillusioned heiress swaps her credit cards for a pitchfork and shovel in a desperate attempt to escape her grandfather's iron-fisted control. However, at the track she must earn the respect of an uncompromising horse trainer who has little tolerance for greenhorns, especially one he's been forced to hire.

A brilliant new Eric Carle picture book for the artist in us all Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.

A Colorado clone of James Herriot reveals the evolution of his trainingskills through well-told...

Literary mashup master Waldrop is back with new stories of pirates, hidden movie history, the Wolfman of Alcatraz, and more.

A sheltered girl. A wild horse. An unforgettable journey. This riveting story from Newbery honoree and New York Times bestseller Pam Munoz Ryan is perfect for fans of Marguerite Henry, Sara Pennypacker, and Rosanne Parry. Maya lives like a captive. At Grandmother's house in California, everything is forbidden: friends, fun, even memories. And her life is built on lies-lies Grandmother tells about her dead mother, and lies Maya tells to impress or manipulate. But then she moves to the vast Wyoming wilderness where her mother's family awaits -- kind, rugged people who have no tolerance for lies. They challenge Maya to confront the truth about who she is. And a mysterious mustang called Artemisia waits, too. She holds the key to Maya's freedom. But to find it, Maya will have to risk everything. . . including her life.

In A Good Horse Is Never a Bad Color, Mark Rashid continues to share his talent for training horses through communication rather than force. Rashid uses humorous, feel-good stories to relate his techniques of teaching horses by examining their view of the world. These stories deal with many aspects of buying, owning, and training horses with a special focus on those that are troubled and hard-to-train. The arrested development of horses like these, Rashid shows, is often a result of their trainers’ own lack of understanding of their unique psychologies. With stories that stress the importance of patience and understanding, this book is a must-have for compassionate horse trainers and owners. Tales of Arabs, appaloosas, and paints—mistrusted and mistreated because of their breed—will give readers a new perspective on these breeds and others. Sometimes, it’s the attitude that needs to be fixed rather than the horse. Rashid’s accounts of horses bound for slaughter because they were considered impossible to train will inspire you to give your own problem horse a second look. This new edition features added introductory notes for each chapter that contribute to a better understanding of Rashid’s philosophy and methods.

“A wonderfully evocative biography of the . . . 13th century Icelandic writer and chieftain” who wrote the immortal stories of Thor, Odin, Valhalla, and Ragnarök (Guardian, UK). Much like Greek and Roman mythology, Norse myths are still with us. Famous storytellers from JRR Tolkien to Neil Gaiman have drawn their inspiration from the long-haired, mead-drinking, marauding and pillaging Vikings. But few of us know much about the creator of these immortal heroes: a thirteenth-century Icelandic chieftain by the name of Snorri Sturluson. Like Homer, Snorri was a bard, writing down and embellishing the folklore and pagan legends of medieval Scandinavia. Unlike Homer, Snorri was a man of the world—a wily political power player, one of the richest men in Iceland who came close to ruling it, and even closer to betraying it. In Song of the Vikings, award-winning author Nancy Marie Brown brings Snorri Sturluson’s story to life in a richly textured narrative that draws on newly available sources.