The humorous illustrations and fun definitions of higher-level words were the best part of this book for me. The story of Steve’s desire to stand out…not quite so much. Again, I may be showing my age here, but we don’t all have to be exceptional, and being ordinary is okay. I almost feel like Steve’s friends are making fun of him, and he doesn’t really learn anything new.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Can’t think of anything.

Who Might Like This Book:
Kids who like “Fancy Nancy”—this book has the same tone when explaining “big” words.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. This book also reviewed at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-panoply-of-picturebooks.html. ( )

The illustrations in this are done in a simple but fun style, allowing the animals to be very expressive, however the illustrations are black and white with a sepia tone background and shading. I felt the book made good use of varied fonts and text size to convey voice and emphasis. Throughout the story several words (such as exceptional) are given a brief definition. ( )

Steve the horse longs to be extraordinary in this entertaining picture-book from Canadian author/illustrator Kelly Collier, hitting upon the perfect strategy when he finds a golden horn lying on the ground. Securing the horn to his head (or so he thinks), he parades himself before his friends, never noticing when his new headpiece slides from his head, and ends up hanging around his neck. When he does discover that the horn is missing (or so he thinks), he is distraught - without the horn, how can he demonstrate to others how special he is?

Fortunately for our equine hero, his imitative friends provide the answer - soon Steve is the only animal around without something attached to head, making him stand out again! - and the book concludes happily. A sweet and slightly quirky book, Steve the Horse is one of those comical titles whose humor isn't quite in sync with mine - humor is extremely idiosyncratic, I find, and my funny-bone can be hard to locate - but which nevertheless strikes me as entertaining. The artwork, done in ink and watercolor, and finished digitally, is likewise quirky and somewhat sweet. This appears to be Kelly Collier's debut, so although I wouldn't describe it as a favorite, of the recent picture-books I have read, I do think it deserves praise. Recommended to anyone looking for humorous picture-books, or children's stories addressing the theme of wanting to be unique and special. ( )

A Horse Named Steve
By: Kelly Collier

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for my honest review.

This was an exceptional book about a very clever horse named Steve.

Plot:
Steve has always wanted to be exceptional. Tough words (like exceptional) are explained in short fun sidebars. One day Steve discovers a golden horn and straps it on on his head with string. He now feels like a special horse and begins sharing this with his friends. As people do, Steve's friends begin to find their own "exceptional" items to strap on their heads. We are talking about amazing things like pine cones and sticks. Steve has to figure out what it really means to be special (hint: it's not strapping a golden horn on your head).

Message:
The world is a big place and kids (adults too) often feel that others don't recognize just how special we each are. In fact, we all spend a lot of effort trying to stand out from then"maddening crowd". Does this often mean copying the.latest trends? If you are a parent or teacher, you know this is true. Being unique and authentic is hard but Steve shows that it is "extra ordinary". This book delivers the message in a simple, straightforward way that kids will love.

Illustrations:
Super charming illustrations that help flesh out the characters. I read this book aloud to my daughter and it was so fun. The pictures helped me realize how the characters should sound. They are simple drawings but convey so much personality. We fell in love.

Overall:
This is a simple book with a big message. ( )