Ressources

What's The Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses? by Richard Van Camp. illustrated by George Littlechild. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1998.

ISBN 0-89239-154-5, $15.95

Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib nation from the Canadian Northwest Territories. He was named "the most promising author under thirty" by the Canadian Authors Association.

I don't know how far under thirty he his, but in this book he speaks directly to the child reader in the voice of a young person. "What's the most beautiful thing you know about horses?" is the question he poses on a brilliantly cold winter day, and the whimsical search for answers from his family and friends will appeal to the wondering child in us all. Children who live in their imaginations, who question, and wonder, and laugh at private jokes will immediately tune into Van Camp's style, and will delight in his playfulness. Children who are used to narratives with a beginning, middle, and end may learn to look at the world a little differently as a result of this style. The vibrant illustrations by Vancouver artist George Littlechild capture the fanciful mood of the book.

An excellent resource for creative writing, art, and creative thinking classes. Distributed in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside (800 260-9777), in the U.S. by Publishers Group West (800 788-3123), or contact

Children's Book Press at 246 First Street, Suite 101, San Francisco, CA 94105 (415995-2200)

Available on Amazon

The Second Story Review, Vol 3, No. 3, Sep 1998