Winnie & Thunderose: An Illustrated Story About Friendship

Title: Winnie & Thunderose: An Illustrated Story About Friendship
Author: Herman Franck, Esq.
Illustrated by: Maria Byerley
Publisher: Trafford
ISBN: 9781426956478
Pages: 128, Paperback & Kindle
Genre: Children’s/Young Adult

Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin, Pacific Book Review

Book Review

Elizabeth is an abnormally quiet young girl, and was brought to a doctor regarding her condition. Her parents, Henry and Alice, noticed however that Elizabeth is extraordinarily intrigued by horses, as some innate bond is established when she is around a horse. So “under doctor’s orders” her parents are instructed to get her a horse.

This begins a journey from California to Kentucky, and leads to the discovery of Winnie, a young spirited pony and Thunderose, a champion thoroughbred with 6 major wins to her record. As money is no object to Elizabeth’s parents, also having the acreage and stable to properly care for the horses, both horses are bought and brought home for Elizabeth to care for.

Interlaced throughout the storyline are beautiful charcoal illustrations by an extremely talented artist, Maria Byerley. Each drawing uniquely captures the grandeur of the equestrian spirit, the sensitive love of the little girl and her family, and the settings of the Southwest and Kentucky regions. The illustrations create a storyboard of imagination that symbiotically enhance the enjoyment of the plot; as the story in turn embellishes the appreciation of the drawings. Particularly one drawing of Winnie & Thunderose looking outward from their stable window at night, with the “reverse use” of charcoal being erased to highlight stars against a dark sky, holds an artistic element indelible in my memory. Another one is a portrait of a Native American woman representing the facial characteristics of the Arizona tribes, and is so beautifully illustrated I couldn’t turn the page for minutes when viewing it for the first time.

Friendship and love becomes a matrix of relationships. Winnie & Thunderose have an animal bond akin to love. Elizabeth loves each horse separately and of course the love of Henry and Alice with their daughter is told in a healthy, functional way. All emotions are heightened during a fiery crisis of survival when lightning strikes a tree and catches the adjacent barn on fire, jeopardizing the life of the horses and ultimately Elizabeth and also a firefighter. The combination of learning about the horses’ personalities, seeing the special bonds with Elizabeth, and feeling the love of her family created a story of unique enjoyment for reading to young children, or having them read this book on their own once able. I was impressed with the way Herman Franck so eloquently showed how working with beautiful animals inspired Elizabeth to come out of her shell.

This book is highly recommended to be a part of school libraries, as well as the personal collections of families raising children. It would make a great birthday gift for any single digit year party. It is a book to be read over and over, with illustrations to be gazed upon in an unhurried fashion, relishing in the delight of the images of a very well told story.