Terrible Horses

A young boy desperately wants to be a part of his older sister’s life and friendship group. However, she doesn’t feel the same way. When they fight, the boy channels his feelings into stories he writes about terrible horses and a single, lonely pony.  

When his sister finds his book, she realises its significance. She understands the way he looks up to her and how he sees himself and decides to make amends with the brother she loved deep down all along.  

This gorgeously simple but emotive story manages to perfectly capture the essence of sibling relationships - the longing for acceptance, the loneliness, the embarrassment and the cruelty, but also the kindness, the love and the understanding that are so prominent in these unique relationships.  

Raymond Antrobus’ poetic writing is minimal and delivers great emotion without distraction or fuss. It pairs beautifully with Ken Wilson-Max’s illustrations, which are incredible in the way they communicate great depth and variety of feeling with such apparently simple brush strokes.  

This is a brilliant book to share with children to ignite conversation about relationships and feelings – especially for those with older/younger siblings.