Here’s a wonderful book written by our good friend Jan Carr. Not exactly a mouse in the barn … but if you know any girls that love to dance it’s a winner!!
A great book to read out loud.
Buy it at your local bookshop or online here.
Keep on writing Jan and we’ll keep on reading!
Here’s a well deserved review and a bit of the story;
From Booklist
All the tension and beauty of the ballet are magnified in this melodramatic mouse tale. Little Tendu (that’s “Stretch” for us English speakers) scampers gracefully through all areas of a beautiful old-fashioned ballet theater as he flees a predatory cat, broom-wielding custodian, and gang of ruthless rats until he finds the perfect home: the lamb’s-wool-lined toe of a pink-satin pointe shoe. In this new picture book from Carr (Greedy Apostrophe, 2007), the reader gets a mouse’s-eye view of the theater’s murky back passages, costume workshop, and the chandelier-lit theater itself, with its velvet seats and ornate plasterwork. Like a character in a classic ballet, our adventurous rodent hero experiences rapture, terror, and longing before finding a safe haven—and a new friend—in a dancer’s quiet dressing room. Bell’s digitally colored pencil illustrations are full of soft hues, rounded sketchy lines, and lots of chintzy ribbons and roses, which give the story a classic, nostalgic look. Hand this to aspiring ballerinas who can’t get enough of the ballet world. Grades K-2. –Paula Willey
Here’s a guest blog by our friend Kristie at Edgemere equestrian over in the UK. She wants to tell you all about her favorite horses. Which one would you take for a ride?
I’ve always been partial to Bucephalus myself … something to do with a boy and a horse and taming the wild stallion – maybe you know the rest of that story:) Don’t forget you can always find a Bucephalus of your own at the gift shop!
4 Inspiring Horses from History, Myths and Legends
When you are young, you might watch plenty of horse T.V shows and movies, like Disney’s Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron, or even My Little Pony! Sometimes it’s the shows like these that lead us starting to love horses, and anything that encourages us to take up riding can only be a good thing! However, people have been telling fantastic stories about horses for millennia, and some of those stories are even more epic tales than the modern feature films of today. Here are 5 of our favourite horse myths and legends to tell your friends.
The Wind Horse is a story told in Native American culture; it’s about a beautiful wild horse that roams the land. The wind horse is a free horse, and it is his freedom that inspires him to good deeds across the land. Whenever a Native American was injured or in dire need, it is said the Wind Horse would appear and help them.
One day the Wind Horse comes across a young boy who has injured his foot in a bear trap. Selflessly, the horse helps him and they ride home together. During the journey, the horse senses the thoughts of the young boy – he fears for the future as he has injured himself beyond recovery, and he fears that he will be lonely, unable to join in with his friends due to his injury.
The legend says that the Wind Horse knew it’s duty from then on was to protect the boy and be his friend, so the horse gives up his freedom to live out the rest of his days with his new companion. When the new friends reach home, the boy is healed.
Pegasus is a beautiful immortal winged horse from Greek Mythology – you might remember him from stories about the great hero Hercules, but he actually belonged to the hero Perseus! He was a brave warrior who wanted to win the hand of a beautiful lady, but a rival also wanted to win her love. Because of this, a challenge was set, and Perseus had to kill the evil Gorgon monster Medusa. Perseus succeeded in his quest, and the beautiful horse Pegasus was born. The horse helped many heroes with their quests, and he can now be seen honoured as a constellation in the sky.
You’ve no doubt heard of Alexander the Great; he was one of the most successful conquerors the world has ever known! Bucephalus was the horse of Alexander the Great, when they first met, the horse was wild and un-tamed, and he was a huge horse too, with a face like a bull. At just 12 years old Alexander decided to train this famous horse, and he succeeded with his natural horsemanship. Together they rode into many battles and forged one of the biggest empires ever known.
Movies about Thor and Loki have cause a rising interest in Norse culture, and you might have already heard of the Norse god Odin. Well, Sleipnir was Odin’s steed, and he was highly unusual as he has eight legs! Luckily, this made him supremely fast, sure-footed, and able to jump enormous obstacles!
Personally, my favourite story of this selection is the story of Alexander the Great and Buccephalus, simply because it’s a classic example of the great things a partnership between human and horse can achieve. Would Alexander have achieved the same success if he didn’t have his loyal steed? I wonder. However, there’s no doubt that trusting your horse and treating it like a partner will likely lead to you becoming an unstoppable team!
Which ancient horse would you have loved to ride?
This article was written by Kirstie, digital editor at Edgemere.
This is a horse after my own heart. A racer and and an artist!
We have a lot of summer camps coming up so maybe you can grab a brush and be part of the fun with HorseTales.org!
It’s graduation time so be sure to give the gift of imagination – a Bucephalus to call your own!
Metro Meteor, once considered one of the fastest Turf Sprinters at Belmont and Saratoga, knee injuries ended his racing career. Adopted off the track by Ron & Wendy Krajewski, Metro now spends his days painting abstract art. Holding the paintbrush in his teeth and stroking the canvas, Metro’s paintings are sold, with 50% of the proceeds going to help other retired racehorses find homes.
NYFF17: Family Matinee of “The Black Stallion”
Posted by Jeffrey Bloomer on 2.17.2012
The quintessential tale of a boy and his horse, The Black Stallion screens Saturday at 11am in a special 50 Years of the New York Film Festival family matinee at the Walter Reade Theater.
Although now widely regarded as a classic, The Black Stallion came to NYFF in 1979 with an uncertain future; United Artists, its distributor, didn’t show much interest in it. But after it screened at the festival, positive notices started to roll in, and it went on to a leggy box office run and two Academy Award nominations (though, puzzlingly, not one for its spectacular cinematography). Roger Ebert named the film the best of 1980, and Pauline Kael wrote it was “proof that even children who have grown up with television and may never have been exposed to a good movie can respond to the real thing when they see it.”
Based on the first of a long series of books by Walter Farley, the film picturesquely chronicles the relationship between a boy and his iconic stallion, initially after they are shipwrecked on an island together and eventually on the racetrack. The simple story resonated profoundly enough to inspire a sequel, prequel, television adaptation and myriad imitators in the years that followed.
Come see a magnificent 35mm print this weekend, with tickets just $6 for kids (children 4-12 should be occupied by an adult). And don’t forget to check out our ongoing Family Films series, with daily screenings throughout the February school break and more titles coming soon.
Below is a full list of all the films that played alongside The Black Stallion at the NYFF in 1979:
Luna
Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy/USA, 1979
The Golden Coach
Jean Renoir, Italy/ France, 1953
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
Chuck Jones, USA, 1979
Black Jack
Ken Loach, UK, 1979
WIse Blood
John Houston, USA, 1979
Short Memory (La Memoire Courte)
Eduardo de Gregorio, France/Belgium, 1979
Angi Vera
Pál Gabor, Hungary, 1979
Nosferatu, The Vampyre
Werner Herzog, West Germany/USA, 1978
Mad Wednesday
Preston Sturges, USA, 1950
Scarface
Howard Hawks, USA, 1932
The Europeans
James Ivory, UK, 1979
Molière
Ariane Mnouchkine, France, 1978
Best Boy
Ira Wohl, USA, 1979
Other People’s Money (L’argent des autres)
Christian de Chalonge, France, 1978
Alexandria… Why? (Askandrie…Lie?)
Youssef Chahine, Egypt/Algeria, 1978
My Brilliant Career
Gill Armstrong, Australia, 1979
Primal Fear (Mourir à tue-tête)
Jan-Marie Martell Canada, 1978
In a Year of 13 Moons (In einem jahr mit 13 monden)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany, 1979
Without Anesthesia
Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1978
The Wobblies
Stewart Bird and Deborah Shaffer, USA, 1979
The Young Girls of Wilko (Panny z Wilka)
Andrzej Wajda, Poland/France, 1979
Peeping Tom
Michael Powell, UK, 1959
The Marriage of Maria Braun
Rauber Wrber Fassvubder, West Germany, 1978
SPECIAL EVENT: AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
Film shown were: The Cold World, Shirley Clarke; Heartland, Richard Pearce; Trash, Paul Morissey; Ice, Robert Kramer; Glen and Randa, Jim McBride; Alambrista (The Illegal), Robert M.Young; Badlands, Terence Malick; Gal Yung Un, Victor Nuñez; Killer’s Kiss & The Brig, Stanley Kubrick; Bush Mania, Haile Gerima; Crazy Quilt, John Korty; Northern Lights, Jon Hanson and Rob Nilsson; Sweet Sweetbck’s Badasssss Song, Melvin Van Peebles; Scenic Route, Mark Rappaport.
Yes,
It’s really over … a week ago, but we gave ya’ll a little extra time just in case you over slept or something.
There are three winners – and maybe next time you can be one too. If you haven’t looked at the entries stop and smell the flowers.
