I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an adorable book. I loved the pictures. They were so different from what I'm used to seeing in picture books lately. The story was cute and in engaging for youngsters. A good read for kids that love animals, especially horses, and farms.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The repetition makes it great for young children, and the horse's point of view was very well executed.

I absolutely loved this book and, judging from how many times I've been asked to reread, my kids love it too!!! I would gladly purchase it as a book for Buckaroo and Buckarette's bookshelf if I ever see it in store.

A very cute (without making me roll my eyes) story of a foal and the boy who loves her. They learn descriptive words together without being "teachy".

As a horse person I'm often leery of horse books for children because of unrealistic storylines. No worries with this one! Cute AND realistic? Sign me up!

I was pleased to receive an e-copy of this book in exchange for my review. #IfAHorseHadWords #NetGalley

My niece is obsessed with horses. Anytime she can pick a book about anything horse related she does. I am looking forward to sharing this charming story with her. I absolutely love that this story is written from the horse's view point. It draws readers into the friendship that the boy and horse have. I also love all the figurative language that is sprinkled within the pages. It allows readers to feel like they are apart of the rodeo. The illustrations are breathtaking and show readers vibrant colors. A must read for all horse lovers.

If a Horse Had Words is a picturebook written by Kelly Cooper and illustrated by Lucy Eldridge. It is currently scheduled for release on June 5 2018. Red Badger is a newborn foal learning to stand when she slips and gets stuck in a muddy badger hole. It is a young boy who frees her, and his kindness and gentleness mark the beginning of their friendship — though she will always be wary of the ground that briefly trapped her. As the seasons pass on the ranch, Red Badger learns more about her world: Fall is leaf rustle and fence posts. Winter is white hills and long nights. The boy is hay, a gentle touch, playing in the snow and the sweet smell of peppermints. If a horse had words, the word would be friend.

If a Horse Had Words is a picturebook about friendship told from the horse's point of view. It gives a cool perspective that animal loving readers, and horse loving readers in particular, will enjoy and get something special from. The book also felt like it was trying to help readers with learning new words, particularly about seasons. It felt a little overbearing at times, but might make it more useful for helping struggling readers that love horses learn those words. However, it was a little too text heavy to work for those that are really struggling. The artwork is nice, it reminded me of the classic illustrations in Golden Books from my own childhood. All together, I think this book has a niche audience, one that I do not quite fit into.

I was not a fan of this one, but this may be due to cultural differences.

This book is not at all what I expected and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. The title made me think it was going to be some sort of spiritual connection type of if horses could speak this is what they'd tell you. However, it's a tale of a horse discovering the world and learning. There are some unexpected turns in the story, but the ending had me crying tears of joy.

The pictures were nostalgic and the story simple. I enjoyed this book but I feel like it is similar to many I have read. Would really like to see more diverse characters and less 1950's Father Knows Best illustrations. I work with inner city preschoolers and it is so hard to find books that are relatable. I feel this concept although recycled could have been made fresh by using a diverse illustration style and characters.

I found this a book for children that reminds me of the old Disney movies like Old Yeller and Big Red...It begins with danger and fear when a horse is born but gets stuck in the mud and cannot stand on its own. A young boy rescues her gently. They go through the seasons together and the horse learns about the world around him including the kindness of the young boy who takes care of her If a horse had words he would call the boy a "friend." Unfortunately, the horse never forgets the first experience of trying to stand and needing help so she is skittish and bucks the owners' son the first time someone tries to ride her. The horse is sold at auction for that..
Years later the young boy is now a cowboy and meets up with the horse no one could ride. Gentleness and kindness return and if the horse could talk it would use the word "friend."
Beautiful book and story on many levels...but not too many for the little ones.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review through Netgalley. This review is of my own thoughts.

This is the story about a foal that was born on a spring morning and her feelings as she grew. From the time she learned how to stand, the bond she made with "the boy" to being sold of for cowboys to ride in shows, it follows how she feels through each stage and words she would use to describe that feeling. This story actually did make me tear up a bit when the horse bucked the boy off and ended up being sold at an auction. I loved that it came full circle, and after no cowboy could ride her, this boy, now more grown, came to soothe her. 

The illustrations were beautifully done and were appropriate for the story. Overall, this story is sweet and I hope to get my hands on a physical copy one day for my own future little ones to read.

This delightful children's book tells the story of Red Badger from her birth to her life as a rodeo horse. It's also the story of the boy who cared for her. The way the story is woven between the words the horse would say and the love the boy shows for her is endearing. The watercolor style illustrations are beautifully done. These images enhance the story telling. This is a book worth adding to a library or personal collection. It will be well-loved at our home by the little children and the big children their parents still are at heart.

On a tranquil spring morning a foal is born. Serene watercolor scenes introduce us to the foal who is experiencing the beauty and challenges of life. We learn how a horse would name each new situation, if it had words…”Red Badger whinnies. The sound is a shout, sky-high and wild. If a horse had words, the word would be…”

Use this masterfully illustrated text to introduce a lesson on word choice. Ask your students to select an animal and come up with words based on its unique experiences. Highly Recommended.

If a Horse Had Words is a beautifully illustrated and written children's book. However, I found it uneven and difficult to discuss with my children. The beginning is great: a foal learning about the world, meeting her owner's son and him trying to ride her. Then the book shifts to her being sold to a rodeo, simply because he bucked off the owner's son on his first try riding her. That seems extreme to me. Then it was odd to see her as a rodeo horse and trying to see the rodeo as something positive for her. The end, however was unique and fun, having the boy recognize her and ride her, both of them finding it joyful. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend the book, but as a city boy, I'm probably not the intended audience.

Great illustrations! This is a really sweet story about a young foal and the people she meets and places she goes through her life.

It’s hard to decide if I like this book, mainly because it’s hard to decide if it is a happy or depressing book. A new horse is born. It learns to stand with the help of a young cow boy, learns the seasons, is sold at auction, and becomes a rodeo horse. The boy who smells of peppermint loses a friend, but finds her years later in the ring. Not a story I will read again, but I can see some kids who will fall in love with this tale.

This book seemed hard to follow along with. I believe that children will have a tough time staying engaged with the storyline. I also did not particularly care for the artwork. seemed too cartoonish.

Gorgeous picture book about a horse’s life and his bond with a boy. Beautifully and playfully illustrated.

Cute illustrations and I was excited to see a picture book about horses. I liked how it started out but then I feel it got complicated. Some of these concepts are hard for young children to understand so I feel like it is more appropriate for a slightly older audience. I was glad that it had a happy ending though.

This beautifully sweet story absolutely melted my heart! The artwork is gorgeous and the story is great, I have absolutely no complaints. 5 stars!

If A Horse Had Words is about a foal born on a spring morning of sunshine and melting snow. "If she had words, she would say willow, crocus, puddle and sky."  As she tries to stand she feels quivery. "If a horse had words, the word would be . . . up." Pushing her way to a standing position her back legs get stuck in a muddy badger hole. But in a short time, two creatures appear out of nowhere to help her. One is a man and the other a boy who both are able to pull the horse free. "Seasons pass and the boy still loves the air. Seasons pass and the horse still fears the ground." The boy names the horse Red Badger, he feeds her and brings her peppermints. In time the boy puts a saddle on the horse to see if he can ride her. Unfortunately, she is still fearful that the ground is unstable and she may get stuck again so she bucks him off. The boy’s dad, who is watching, decides that she is incapable of having a rider so he takes her to a local auction. The horse never forgets the experience of feeling trapped or of the boy who showed up to feed her peppermints. But will the boy and horse ever meet again?

*Spoiler Alert* This story follows the horse and boy's relationship from the day the horse is born, to when she is sent to auction, to when they are reunited at a rodeo where she has become a bronc and he a cowboy.

Cons: As a sensitive child, I think I would have found the story more sad than upbeat. It felt unbelievable that the boy tried to ride the horse once, got thrown, so the Dad sells her. How is that not sad to a child when the boy and horse have developed a closeness? I also feel a very young child would have trouble understanding the story.

Pros: The illustrations are very soft and complementary to the text. It is a story of friendship as seen through the eyes of a horse.

#Ifahorsehadwords #netgalley