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Learning a new skill makes us all feel vulnerable. When the learning is hard going, we can feel embarrassed or even ashamed. Sometimes we just need the space to breathe deeply and a gentle presence to act as a patient witness to our efforts. In the heartfelt picture book, Rain and the Reading Horse, authored by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Hannah Salyer, a young girl who is struggling to read finds her own pace and path to learning with a little bit of help. She discovers peace in the rhythms of barn chores and the calm company of a horse named Snow. Gianferrari’s lovely, well-chosen prose, matched with Salyer’s dreamlike painting, creates a story that will inspire children for whom reading does not come easily. Sometimes we all need a creature, who stands by without expectation or judgment, to hear us.
To celebrate the publication of this hopeful, gentle book, I created a pair of small reading horses out of recycled cardboard. To honor Salyer’s delicate, blue-tinged illustrations, I painted my horses light blue and by chance, I happened to have variegated blue yarn in my craft cabinet for their tails and manes.
After I made my miniature horses, I walked them to the pond near my house for a photo shoot. I wonder what passersby thought of that! Next, I will corral them and introduce them to the students in my school library. I’m sure emerging readers will love to practice with these tiny reading horses as their audience.
MATERIALS:
- Toilet paper roll
- Water-based paint
- Craft sticks (4)
- Yarn
- Hot glue gun (low temperature for kids)
- Cardstock
- Ruler
DIRECTIONS:
- Paint the toilet paper roll
- Trace the profile of a horse’s head onto cardstock, cut it out and paint it. You can add a face if you’d like!
- Trim the tips off the 4 craft sticks (I thought I might need an X-acto but it was easy to snip off the end of the craft sticks with a regular scissors.)
- With hot glue, adhere the horse head and the four craft stick legs to your cardboard roll. Paint the legs once the glue is dry.
- Wrap yarn into a “pony tail,” knotting it on one side. Glue the knot to the inside of the roll and then trim the tail as needed.
- This is the hardest step! Wrap yarn around the ruler. Glue one edge and trip the other. Then glue the “mane” to one side of the horse’s head. Repeat this step with the other side. This makes a thick, beautiful mane!
About the Author:
As a shy, animal-loving kid, Maria Gianferrari wishes she could have read to a horse like Snow. As a shy, animal-loving adult, she now gets to write about all kinds of creatures and the bonds that they share with humans. Maria lives in Massachusetts with her family and dreams of reading Rain and the Reading Horse to a horse! You can learn more at her website: mariagianferrari.com.
About the Illustrator:
Hannah Salyer’s work, including Packs: Strength in Numbers and Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art, has been recognized by American Illustration and the Society of Illustrators. She teaches art to students of all ages, has a ceramics practice, and is co-founder of Underland Gallery.
homemadecity.com 
