The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble

Goble, Paul. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. New York, 1978.

This story is a good example of folklore for children. It is a Native American story that has been passed down orally from generation to generation. The story is set in the Great Plains before they were civilized. It’s a story of a young girl who loved wild horses so much that she played with them everyday. One day a storm comes and she rides away with the horses. She lives with them for two years until she’s found by her tribe. Although, she loves her family she decides to be happy she must live with the horses where she can roam wild and free.

Goble introduces Native American culture to children who might not otherwise get exposed to this culture. It is a culture that is becoming more and more forgotten in American society. The story and illustrations were incredibly effective in teaching about the culture. The story itself taught about Native values such as love, compassion, family, and their relationship with the earth and nature. The illustrations displayed concrete characteristics of the culture such as, clothing and the Native art style. The illustrations were a key part of the story because they helped children visualize unfamiliar Native concepts. They were done using a style typical to Native culture. The people were less emphasized then the animals and scenery. In fact, like Native culture they had no boundaries or edges, they covered the pages.