We have some wonderful tall tales in our culture that excite our imaginations of our children, but this is the story of a real man who lived and wrestled the American West. Bob Lemmon, a former slave, was an amazing African American cowboy. This gritty tale which transports readers to the wide open spaces where nature is king, centers on a time when Bob and his talented horse, Warrior, worked their way inside a herd of wild mustangs, gained their trust and then fought the lead stallion for control.
Wow! The mind stretching illustrations of Jerry Pinkney offer a scent of the dirt and the horses and the feel of the wind and the rain. It was tough work and offered challenge upon challenge and this team of man and horse partnered to achieve their goal of corralling the horses. Talk about a real man. (and I don't think there was any bling in sight)
40 pages 978-0803717879 Ages 7-10
Keywords: cowboys, African American, African American author, Western, historical fiction, diversity, diverse books, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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Bob Lemmons is famous for his ability to track wild horses. He rides his horse, Warrior, picks up the trail of mustangs, then runs with them day and night until they accept his presence. Bob and Warrior must then challenge the stallion for leadership of the wild herd. A victorious Bob leads the mustangs across the wide plains and for one last spectacular run before guiding them into the corral. Bob's job is done, but he dreams of galloping with Warrior forever to where the sky and land meet.
This splendid collaboration by an award-winning team captures the beauty and harshness of the frontier, a boundless arena for the struggle between freedom and survival. Based on accounts of Bob Lemmons, a former slave, Black Cowboy, Wild Horses has been rewritten as a picture book by Julius Lester from his story "The Man Who Was a Horse" in Long Journey Home, first published by Dial in 1972.---from the publisher
