Bibliographic Information:
Goble, Paul. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978.
Plot Description: A young Native American girl loves wild horses so much she spends as much of her time with them as she can. Once day as she is napping in the sun and they grazing among the flowers, a powerful storm comes along. At once the girl and the horses must run off together for safety and soon find themselves lost. A beautiful stallion joins them and asks her to live with horses forever, which she agrees to happily. She is gone a long time when her people finally rescue her, but it doesn’t take them long to realize how sad she is to have left the horses. Finally they all agree she should return, and soon she transforms into a beautiful mare.
Quantitative Reading Level: Lexile 670; GL 4.7
Qualitative Reading Analysis: This fable has a simple text structure and language for young readers, with only a few complex sentences. It is beautifully illustrated with paintings that support interpretation of the events in the story. Like most legends this story has a magical quality, as the horses talk to her and eventually she transforms into one herself. Overall this is a very accessible read with only a few cultural references.
Content Area: English Language Arts
Content Area Standard(s):
CCSS for Reading Literature, Grades 2-3: 2) Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text; 3) Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Curriculum Suggestions: This is a delightful read-aloud for a second or third grade class exploring folktales from other cultures and Native American culture in particular. I’d also recommend it to a young reader that enjoys beautiful artwork.
Supporting Digital Content: Short documentary about the author https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqccBTULCno
Award(s): Caldecott Medal, 1979.
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