Book picks similar to
Seabiscuit vs War Admiral: The Greatest Horse Race in History by Kat Shehata
history
picture-books
horses
sports
How Much Does a Ladybug Weigh?
Alison Limentani - 2016
Did you know that five starlings weigh the same as one squirrel—or that three rabbits weigh the same as one fox cub? Kids—and parents, too—will be amazed and amused by every surprising and intriguing page.
Clark the Shark Dares to Share
Bruce Hale - 2013
In Clark the Shark Dares to Share, our favorite boisterous shark learns that sharing is caring—but sometimes the lesson is a little confusing. Clark shares his funky shark dance with the class, but Mrs. Inkydink tells him he has to wait his turn. Clark shares his reef-hockey skills, but his teammates would rather Clark share the puck. With help from his friends and with his trademark lively rhythms and rhymes, Clark learns how to share in this follow-up to Clark the Shark.
I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home
Kathryn Cristaldi - 2018
For fans of Guess How Much I Love You—only funnier!This book extends the saying, “I’ll love you till the cows come home” to the humorous extreme. Along the way there are yaks in cadillacs, sheep setting sail, frogs on big-wheeled bikes, and more, in this great read-aloud.I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home is filled with warm, funny art and rhythmic, romping text, perfect for curling up with your little one at the end of the day...or anytime you want to express your love.
Bass Reeves Lawman
Fred Staff - 2013
Reeves truly was the most unusual US Marshal to ever serve this country. His accomplishments earned him the title of the most feared lawman in the wild and untamed Indian Territory. The reader will follow his never ending contacts with murders, robbers, horse thieves and whiskey runners. His remarkable life should be an inspiration for any reader. They will be impressed, and astonished by his fearlessness, dedication to honor, commitment to the law and his impact on history. Bass Reeves Lawman is the second of a trilogy based on the true life of Bass Reeves, the first Black US Marshal west of the Mississippi. You will follow him from as he meets famous people of the time. Pistol Pete, Belle Starr, Judge Isaac Parker, Heck Thomas and Sam Sixkiller were just some of the famous and infamous who crossed paths with this amazing man. Bass Reeves was born a slave, escaped captivity during the Civil War. His years of service, as a US Marshal, to the lawless Indian Territory helped write the history of Oklahoma. His honor, accomplishments and courage makes him eligible to be called the greatest lawman of his time. Bass Reeves’ story will make any lover of the old west wonder why he is not more famous. The history of the Old West is filled with stories of heroes and villains, and those stories have been a source of fascination for generations. The fact that the stories of these unique and colorful characters continue to intrigue people is a true testament to the grit and determination it actually took to tame a wild and unpredictable country. Among those stories, readers will seldom find a character that overcame more challenges and had more determination than Bass Reeves. As a slave, Reeves served a man who ultimately became the Speaker of the House of Texas. He was a participant in the Civil War and escaped to the lawless Indian Territory that is now Oklahoma. His life with the Indians, gave him the skills to make him a great tracker and hunter of outlaws. He learned five languages and gained respect of the Indians of the Territory, which made him one of the few who could gain information and accomplish the task of hunting down the lawless. Bass Reeves faced challenges in his new homeland that would have destroyed a lesser man, but his natural gifts of determination and intelligence helped mold the man into one of the most feared and respected lawmen in history. The story of Bass Reeves was illuminated in his day by only a flicker of candlelight, because he was black. If he had been a white man, the entire world would have known of his great exploits, and his name would have been mentioned with the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Bill Hickok. If the real truth had been known, the name of Bass Reeves would have been a beacon of historical light, shining brighter than any of his contemporaries. The truth is, many of those more famous lawmen also reveled in some of the less honorable sides of life, like gambling, prostitution, profiteering, murder and vengeance. To the contrary, research into the life of Bass Reeves has shown that he strictly obeyed the laws of the land and strove to treat the men he hunted with even more respect than was customary for that time in history. Amazingly, Reeves stuck to these high standards in a wild territory that was often filled with greater danger than any of his contemporaries could have even imagined. Bass Reeves brought law to a territory of outlaws that spread out over seventy thousand square miles. He arrested more than three thousand offenders and delivered them to face judgment before Judge Parker, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Gobi: A Little Dog with a Big Heart
Dion Leonard - 2017
Through cold nights and raging rivers, with little food and water, and through a long, hard journey, these two create a bond unlike any other.Cross the finish line with Gobi and Dion, the little pup who never quit and the ultramarathon runner who loves her.
Over the Line
Tom Palmer - 2014
Jack is to make his debut as a professional footballer, but it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. Jack and his team-mates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again.
Let 'er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People's Champion
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson - 2019
One was white, one was Indian, and one was black. When the judges declared the white man the winner, the audience was outraged. They named black cowboy George Fletcher the "people's champion" and took up a collection, ultimately giving Fletcher far more than the value of the prize that went to the official winner. Award-winning author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson tells the story of Fletcher's unlikely triumph with a Western twang that will delight kids--and adults--who love true stories, unlikely heroes, and cowboy tales.
Blood Red Horse
K.M. Grant - 2004
A fair maiden. A just cause.
Will has a horse—a small chestnut stallion with a white blaze in his brow. Ellie is a fair maiden, but she’s supposed to marry Will’s older brother, Gavin. And as for the cause, King Richard is calling for a Crusade. The Knights of England must go to the Holy Land to fight.
Will and Gavin will go. Blood will be shed. Lives will be taken. But through it all, two things will be constant—Ellie, and a blood-red horse called Hosanna...
Horses of the Sun
Robert Vavra - 1995
As in Vavra's most popular books, all are alone and running free in glorious natural settings: a white Arabian in a sun-washed desert; a black Friesian galloping in snowdrifts; a gray Andalusian amid violet flowers; a chestnut Arabian prancing in autumn leaves.These lush photographs are accompanied by poetry and are followed by text and drawing that profile each breed, highlighting the particularly outstanding traits of each horse depicted. Vavra pays special attention to the Andalusian, providing an essay on its romantic history. Presented on natural, handmade paper, Horses of the Sun fuses the beautiful simplicity of Vavra's earlier works with a new, fresh image of horses. For anyone who loves horses or simply appreciates the finest of photography, Horses of the Sun is a lovely gift -- a paean to this most beloved of animals.
Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis' Fleet-of-Foot Girl
Megan Reid - 2020
Open tennis champion, from debut author Megan Reid and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning illustrator Laura Freeman. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Althea Gibson was the quickest, tallest, most fearless athlete in 1940s Harlem. She couldn’t sit still! When she put her mind to it, the fleet-of-foot girl reigned supreme at every sport—stickball with the boys, basketball with the girls, paddle tennis with anyone who would hit with her.But being the quickest, tallest, most fearless player in Harlem wasn’t enough for Althea. She knew she could be a tennis champion.Because of segregation, black people weren’t allowed to compete against white people in sports. Althea didn’t care. She just wanted to play tennis against the best athletes in the world. And with skill and determination, she did just that, eventually becoming the first black person—man or woman—to win a trophy at Wimbledon.Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl chronicles this trailblazing athlete’s journey—and the talent, force of spirit, and energy that made it possible for her to break barriers and ascend to the top of the tennis world.
On a Hoof and a Prayer: Exploring Argentina at a Gallop
Polly Evans - 2007
Determined to finally bite the bullet and saddle up, she set off for Argentina, home of the nomadic gaucho whose spirit still gallops across the plains. In this sprawling country, six-year-olds travel to school on horseback. How difficult could it be? As she learns to sit astride a horse without falling off and befriends the marvelous creatures around her, Polly leaps into the sights and sounds of Argentina past and present: a hair-raising mystery involving Evita Perón becomes a parable about women, politics, and religion; a tango performance in Buenos Aires an occasion for both sorrow and rejoicing. From wine tasting in the Andes to exploring the legendary Perito Moreno Glacier, from investigating the myth of the gaucho to discovering her Welsh roots in Patagonia, Polly takes us along for an exhilarating, unforgettable ride as she finally lives out her dream—at a trot, a canter, and a gallop.
Operation Cowboy: The Secret American Mission to Save the World's Most Beautiful Horses in the Last Days of World War II
Stephan Talty - 2014
In the final days of World War II, with the ravenous Red Army marching across Czechoslovakia, a wily band of American soldiers did the unexpected: they teamed up with the Nazis and went behind enemy lines to save the world’s rarest horses from imminent extinction at the hands of the Russians — including the exquisite white Lipizzaner, whose bloodlines date back to Genghis Khan. Based on personal interviews and new archival research, New York Times bestselling author Stephan Talty recreates in vivid detail the exhilarating rescue mission, led by unlikely heroes who just “wanted to do something beautiful.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephan Talty is the author of the best-selling Kindle Single “The Secret Agent,” as well as five acclaimed non-fiction books. The movie "Captain Phillips," with Tom Hanks, was based on his book with Richard Phillips. And Talty's next crime novel, “Hangman” (May 13), brings back the Harvard-educated detective Abbie Kearney. Cover design by Adil Dara Kim.
Seabird
Holling Clancy Holling - 1948
A 1949 Newbery Honor Book The history of America at sea is presented through the travels of Seabird, a carved ivory gull.
Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World
Juliana Hatkoff - 2007
His mother, a rescued East German circus bear, didn't know how to take care of Knut and rejected him. Knut would have died if it weren't for Thomas Dorflein, a zookeeper who nurtured Knut, feeding him, sleeping with him, and giving him the love and attention Knut needed to thrive. But Thomas wasn't the only one who adopted Knut. The adorable little polar bear captured the world's attention, and now Knut is loved around the globe.
My Friend Flicka
Mary O'Hara - 1941
He loses saddle blankets and breaks reins...but then comes the worst news yet: a report card so bad that he has to repeat a grade. How can you tame the dreamy mind of a boy who stares out of the window instead of taking an exam? Enter Flicka, the chestnut filly with a wild spirit. Over the course of one magical summer, both will learn the meaning of responsibility, courage, and, ultimately, friendship.