Smoky the Cowhorse - 1927 Newbery Winner

Summary -

Smoky is a feisty mouse colored horse and this is his story - told mostly through his eyes. We learn about his adventures and misadventures on the range, but mostly the story centers around his friendship with a gentle cowboy named Clint. Clint is an old and wise cowboy who really knows horses and earns Smoky's trust through patience and kindness. They have a unique bond that isn't broken even when they're separated for many years.

Positives -

It's a genuinely sweet earnest story about loyalty and friendship and has a lot to offer young animal lovers in that regard. And although it was a little too long I was mostly entertained and absorbed by the story.

Negatives -

Unfortunately there are quite a few:

1.) The writer chose to narrate the entire story in a 'cowboy dialect'. It wore thin really quick. It didn't seem authentic at all and it distracted from the story.

2.) The book shows its age with some outdated and racist attitudes towards a mixed race character.

3.) The book was really too long - some scenes drug on too long and I think most modern readers would lose interest quickly.

Conclusion -

I enjoyed this book MUCH more than the previous two winners, but I still didn't love it. I have to conclude that it has pretty limited appeal for a modern audience. I would only recommend this to older children who are really wild about horses and have already exhausted the extensive work that's already available on this topic.