By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
Illustrated by Melissa Bailey
Hardcover $24.95
ISBN: 9780228104858
www.fireflybooks.com
Charlie had an ordinary name and lived on an ordinary ranch. But Charlie was no ordinary horse. Charlie knew he could fly.
This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the story of Charlie, a determined and speedy horse who, with the help of some human friends, proves once and for all that horses can indeed fly. After years of toiling away as a work horse, Charlie is finally recognized for his incredible speed and ends up as a prize racehorse belonging to an important man (the future Governor of California). A photographer is hired to take high-speed photos of Charlie as he runs and runs and runs. The photographer snaps pictures of Charlie with all four hooves off the ground as he gallops by a row of cameras, proving once and for all that Charlie can fly!
Conveyed through Charlie's story is an important message of resilience and self-confidence, telling young readers, "Believe in yourself, give it a try! How else will you prove that you can fly?"
Author Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an internationally acclaimed animation veteran (she was a production manager on The Simpsons and an ink and paint supervisor on Paramount's animated feature Bebe's Kids). She is also a popular speaker at colleges, film festivals and entertainment industry conferences around the world. She has worked with clients around the world, such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Technicolor, Framestore and Lucasfilm Animation. She has written for over 80 publications, including Media History Digest, Art Business News and Animation World Network.
Melissa Bailey is an award-winning illustrator and author. Her books include Pug Is Happy (2018) and Imara's Tiara (2022) cowritten with Susan R. Stoltz, and has illustrated over 50 books, including Steve the Dung Beetle, for which she won the 2019 Moonbeam Awards silver medal for Best Illustrator.
This is a charming, easy to read book full of colourful illustrations, suitable for ages 3 to 10yrs. The story is inspired by real life history which is summarized at the back of the book for parents to share with their little horse lovers. Many will recognize the famous photo of the Courier & Ives illustration of a horse pulling a buggy and “flying” as all four hooves are off the ground. The Rider recommends the book as the perfect addition to any youngster’s personal bookshelf.
By Glenda Fordham, for The Rider