About This Book:
In a relatable tale about two siblings at constant odds, a child discovers that expressing himself through stories can help resolve conflict and generate understanding.
My sister is cooler than me.
I want her friends to be my friends.
I want her things to be my things.
For one little boy and his older sister, fights are always waiting to happen—when he takes something without asking, jumps on her bed without asking, even wanders off without asking. And when they fight, they don’t use words: it’s all push, pull, hurt, hide. To cool off after, the boy retreats to his room to write and draw stories—stories about terrible horses trampling and galloping, while he is a lone pony unable to compete or speak or sleep. One morning, the boy wakes up to find his sketchbook missing, taken by his sister. What now? Will this make things worse, or could it help them to finally understand each other? With empathy and simplicity, Terrible Horses has much to say about using creativity to rein in anger, reflect, and see life through someone else’s eyes.
*Review Contributed By Connie Reid, Staff Reviewer*
Sibling Communication
Terrible Horses is a story of sibling conflict and reconciliation that is relatable to anyone out there with a sibling. The young brother just wants to spend time with his older sister but does not have the words to ask nicely. This results in a lot of fighting and hurt feelings. To cope, the boy writes about terrible horses that leave him behind and are always bigger than him. His sister and he bond when she sees his story. This is a relatable story and I like that the boy journals or draws pictures to handle his emotions. Overall, this story is great for introducing journaling and for young readers to understand this is a common problem and open a dialogue on how to communicate better with their siblings.
