Product Description

“The carousel horses sleep all winter and wake in the spring,” two sisters remember their mother saying. Then one gray-skied February twilight, as they make their way home from school, the girls hear strange whinnying noises coming from the carousel. Could it be that the horses are moving . . . clopping their hooves . . . alive? “Rosenberg’s atmospheric tale is greatly enhanced by LaMarche’s singularly luminous artwork; mist all but lingers on the pages, and his superb use of light and shadow underscores the element of magic threading through the story.”--Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1240666 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
When two sisters take a shortcut through the park one rainy winter day at dusk, the horses on the canvas-shrouded carousel magically come to life and take them for a thrilling twilight ride, soaring up into the sky above town. Something goes awry, however?the horses go wild, and it's up to the girls, with the help of their mother's tool kit and the elder sister's flute serenade, to set things right. Throughout the poetic text, there are hints of the girls' mother's death?the use of the past tense when she's mentioned, and a lingering sadness?and by story's end readers sense that a hurdle has been crossed on their road to healing. Rosenberg's atmospheric tale is greatly enhanced by LaMarche's (The Rainbabies) singularly luminous artwork; mist all but lingers on the pages, and his superb use of light and shadow underscores the element of magic threading through the story. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?On a rainy day in February, two sisters stop by a park after school and peek into the pavilion that houses a long-stilled carousel. To their delight and amazement, the horses are whinnying and prancing around. The narrator leaps on her favorite mare and they fly off into the twilight. Her sister climbs on a zebra and they gallop off together. In response to the observation that "they're wild because they are broken," the girls race home to get their deceased mother's old red toolbox. The younger one proceeds to take the carousel machinery apart until she fixes it, just like her mother would have done. Her sibling calms the horses by playing her flute and the steeds resume their places on the carousel. Wonderfully detailed paintings done in acrylic washes with colored pencils capture the action. The soft, dark gray-blues and lavenders of the pictures are accented by warm, glowing street lights and lighted houses. The sense of wonder and delight on the girls' faces make this fanciful adventure an appealing one. A pleasing story, which, like Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express (Houghton, 1985), can be enjoyed on many different levels.?Janet M. Bair, Trumbull Library, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 5^-8. Fantasy blends beautifully with reality in a book that speaks to the emotions that stir in the wake of a parent's death. Rosenberg's nostalgic text is never saccharine, and LaMarche's artwork is as satisfying in recording precise physical details as it is in catching the special radiance of the story's magical goings-on. Pictures colored in wintry twilight tones follow two young girls who discover that the horses in the park's closed carousel have come alive. A broken carousel part has caused their transformation, and it takes the separate skills of each girl to bring order to the chaos--the younger with her toolbox, the older with her flute. As the girls work their earthly magic, they're each reminded of their beloved mother, whose love and inspiration is at the heart of their talents. Their return home to warm hugs from their father gives closure to this subtle story that shows the arc of memory as it gently sweeps from wistful sadness to serenity. Stephanie Zvirin

Customer Reviews

Delightful for children and adults
As a dad, I found this delightful story in the library while browsing with two of my daughters when they were ages 4 and 6. They love the illustrations and the storyline, as well as the fact that the story is about two girls with their dad. I love the poetic phrasing which leaves plenty for the adult reader to think about without slowing the action for the child reader. Since then, I have become am avid follower of the author. Along with plenty of other children's stories equally endearing as this one, Liz Rosenberg is a highly acclaimed poet, as well as a novelist. Type her name into Amazon's search engine. You will be glad you did.

Galloping For Carousel
The illustrations of this book are outstanding. It resembles those of Harry Potter. I was most impressed with the story's poetic rhythm. The author makes use of strong analogies that allow young readers to truly put themselves in the young girls places as they manipulate the carousel on a magical adventure. The story leaves readers wondering and interpreting the author's intention for the characters mother. Students in K-5 will enjoy writing other adventures that the carousel horses may encounter or other adventures that the girls may have with their mother's tools. Great book!

Beautiful theme
I love this story, and the pictures, too, but what I like most is the sense of lingering influence of a Mother who taught her children with love, and the confidence her memory gives them to handle things on their own. This is skillfully done with only very subtle reference to the fact that the mother is not there, which would be very sad for the audience the book was intended for.