Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 05/01/2015 K-Gr 4—This gorgeous picture book tells the story of a black foal named Midnight and his owner, Guy, who headed off together to the cavalry in World War I. They were separated in Egypt, when only soldiers were needed on the Turkish coast, but Guy returned as soon as he could to find Midnight. He succeeded, and they began desert patrol together near Beersheba where Midnight was killed in one of the last great cavalry charges of history, saving her rider. The battles aren't depicted graphically (there's no blood seen, just a few bodies on stretchers). The style of the writing and illustrations look ideal for younger readers, but most children this age will have only limited knowledge of World War I. VERDICT Presented with some context, this book may make a suitable addition for historical units.—Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2015 Born on a cattle ranch in Australia, Midnight is a coal-black mare trained by her owner, Guy. Come 1914, they each join the cavalry; initially Guy is sent to Turkey without a horse, but then he’s deployed to Cairo, where he finds midnight again. Their unit patrols the arid Sinai, and they’re faced with battle at Beersheba. Midnight and Guy gallop forward, leaping the trenches filled with Ottoman soldiers, until a single bullet fells them both and only Guy survives. Spare, poetic present-tense text is more impressionistic than informative (“The wind blows in Midnight’s mane. And they ride to join the cavalry”), and each scene is an expressive snapshot (“Shrapnel kicks up dust. Bullets clip Guy’s hat”). However, the terseness and artistic distance limits the usual involvement of an animal story-perhaps a good thing, given the tragic ending-and there’s not enough historical detail to compensate by giving the story satisfying completeness as a biography. Lessac’s saturated gouache illustrations and folk-art naïve draftsmanship are at their best in crowd scenes, with a compelling view of the line of khaki-clad ANZACs tramping diagonally through the foggy, swirly muck of Gallipoli toward the bay; the full-bleed spreads emphasize the drama of the backdrops, as with the lines of cavalry horses tied up and patiently waiting in front of the Pyramids or the orange glow of sunset over the desert as the troops prepare their charge. This might be most useful as a facet of a larger look at World War I; it may even be more effective than stories of human losses at bringing home the war’s toll. End matter includes photographs of Guy and Midnight, information about the charge at Beersheba, and source notes. DS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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