The Memory Horse

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University and the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

A young girl and her family move to be with her grandpa on his farm. In
the village fairground nearby stands a silent and fading carousel.
Grandpa tells his granddaughter how her grandmother loved to ride the
carousel, especially the horse named Starflyer.

One day an auction is held and people bid on the wooden horses, taking
responsibility to refurbish them. Grandpa bids on Starflyer and at the
urging of his granddaughter, restores the horse himself. Grandpa tells
his granddaughter stories about Grandma, and the girl learns about her
own history and the special role played by her grandma. The girl
convinces Grandpa to paint Starflyer with symbols of Grandma’s life.
They paint hens, ears of corn, and raspberries to commemorate her hard
work on the farm, ribbons for her prized preserves, a raccoon for the
babies she rescued, and stamps for the hundreds of letters Grandma wrote
to homesick soldiers during World War II. When all of the horses are
restored, the young girl gets her wish to ride the carousel while the
wind blows through her hair.

The Memory Horse is a beautifully written story about how a grandfather
and granddaughter deal with their sadness over the loss of a woman who
truly made the world “a better place.” Through restoring the horse,
the young girl learns about her grandma’s generous heart and wonderful
spirit. Eugenie Fernandes’s detailed illustrations effectively change
styles when shifting from nostalgic memories to the present. Highly
recommended.