pestyside's Full Review: Chris Cerf - Blackie: The Horse That Stood Still
A galloping tale of a horse who stands still captures the imagination of young and old. This tale told in rhyme, reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, appeals to horse lovers of all ages, but he has more to say than that of a stationary horse.
Why in the world would a horse stand still, always? Blackie, the horse who stood still, by Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson, was born an unusual horse.
“In a pasture in Kansas
One early spring morn,
A horse quite unlike
Other horses was born.
His coat was coal black
So they named the horse “Blackie”
And before very long folks found out
He was wacky!”
Blackie wanted to stand still. Through this tale we learn that Blackie wanted to stand still. In fact, he liked it a lot, and he didn’t like change, and he liked to just watch. Blackie thought there was so much to see he never wanted to leave his pasture. There were sunsets, hawks, rabbits, freshly-mown hay, and more. He didn’t want to gallop or frolic with the other horses. But soon the ranchers questioned his value,
"Now most of the people where Blackie was bred,
Felt that Blackie was useless—and here’s what they said:
What good is a horse that won’t jump—
A horse who just stands in one place like a lump?"
Blackie is challenged by a cowboy who came by one day who proclaimed he was the perfect horse. This cowboy wanted a horse who stood still but Blackie didn’t want to leave, he hated change, he’d miss his home on the range. Fortunately the cowboy knew some sugar cubes, carrots and apples might change his mind. Soon Blackie was on his way out west. They sped to the west for hundreds of miles without rest.
As time goes along Blackie becomes a horse of legend in the rodeo circuit. Seems he helped his cowboy rope hundreds of bulls without even moving. Then it was decided he could no longer be in the rodeo. Both the cowboy and horse aged. His back grew older and it swayed. A ranger happens along and finds that Blackie’s end is no where in sight, he needed a horse that didn’t move. But he kept getting older and his back swayed even more. Yes Blackie liked where he worked with the ranger, which was Yosemite Park and he had a lot to watch, he was a horse with a great view. After he was sent to a ranch for old horses he was discovered by an oysterman and then the village of Tiburon.
Blackie’s legend and fame grew as he aged and refused to move. He refused to move because the views were too good and there was too much to see. But along the way he taught others to see, and then to appreciate what they saw. This book concludes with an environmental message when the horse doesn’t budge.
"And when Blackie slowed down
Just to take in the view
The kids saw him do it, and they did it, too,
And they learned, in the process,
What joy can be found
In just standing there quietly looking around."
The town of Tiburon changed when Blackie came along and the message of stopping to look saved them from a potentially bad mistake.
This is a true story (or almost true story) about a horse who lived in Tiburon after an interesting life elsewhere. Blackie barely moved and instead watched people, changes, and life happen all around him. There is a place near Tiburon, California, where a statue remains. This book is about the almost true tale of Blackie. This book is told in Seussian rhyme and I anticipate it becoming an instant classic among children, fans of horses, and people with a community preservation message.
Paige Peterson, artist, joined Christopher Cerf, author, composer and lyricist, to create this story about Blackie. He has been involved with Sesame Street. She fed apples and sugar cubes to Blackie in the pasture near Tiburon. Peterson’s boldly painted images depict texture and a beautiful coal black horse. While I only see horses through my dog’s eyes, I have a dog who frequently stops and just watches. This message of watching the world, of smelling the roses, and paying attention to what exists and what changes, is one many will appreciate. While written for elementary readers, fans of Dr. Seuss will enjoy this true tale and horse. Younger readers will enjoy the horse and the way the text is accented, which makes reading out loud fun. However, this is a lengthy poem that may be a little too much for children under first grade. I highly recommend this book for the rhyme, the story, and horse, and the need to be just a little wacky.
This book is my second contribution to the Fight Illiteracy W/O. Join Cindy's and Dramastef's Fight
Illiteracy W/O! I challenge others in this W/O to see who can submit the most reviews and contribute the most books! What a great idea.
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