Quincy Finds a New Home

Book excerpt: The Quincy the Horse Books, for K-4, will appeal to children who love animals and want to learn more about them. The first book, Quincy Finds A New Home, introduces a red horse named Quincy. It is about the importance of friendship. Quincy's life is turned upside down when he gets a new owner and is taken to a new home, the biggest barn he has ever seen. There are horse shows every Sunday but Quincy does not know how to jump and win ribbons. He struggles with this troubling secret until he makes a new friend, an old horse named Beau. When Quincy confides in Beau, he finds an unexpected answer to his problem. This comforting story is a debut for New Mexico author/illustrator team, Camille Matthews and Michelle Black and shows a knowledge and love of horses and attention to details of horse life that instills the book with authenticity. Through an exploration of the whole range of Quincy's feelings, worries and observations, author Camille Matthews encourages young readers to empathize with him as he tries to make sense of the changes and challenges he is experiencing. Further fostering an in depth experience, Black's artistic style is realistic but at the same time rich with color and detail. Her illustrations fulfill the concept of the picture book as a child's first experience of art. The vibrant artwork of the Quincy the Horse Books make them worth a look.