Rosie's Wild Ride By Paige Murray

Rosie's Wild Ride

by Paige Murray

Illustrator: Kristen Humphrey

Publisher: Zonderkidz

ISBN: 978-0310161585

It's entirely possible that I wanted to review this book because my heart has always been a horse lover! Do I want to pass that on to my granddaughters? I certainly do. I thought Rosie's Wild Ride was the perfect way to do just that... at least for a start. FrontGate media sent me the hardcover for my review.

You can get a FREE Activity Kit here: Freebies - Zonderkidz

Summary:

Meet Rosie, the big horse with even bigger dreams! In Rosie’s Wild Ride, Clydesdale horse Rosie and her cowgirl friend Oakley want to be rodeo stars, but what happens when the competition doesn’t quite go as planned? In this beautiful, inspiring picture book, readers will learn the importance of teamwork, chasing their dreams, and daring to ask, “What if I can?”

Rosie the Clydesdale is a BIG horse. She likes her life on the ranch and helping the farmer with his chores, but she also has a secret dream: she wants to be a rodeo star. She finally gets her chance when she teams up with a plucky cowgirl named Oakley, but the rodeo events aren’t designed for a big horse like Rosie. When a rogue bull disrupts the competition, though, Rosie and Oakley might be the only ones big and brave enough to stop him.

From debut children’s author Paige Murray comes a rodeo adventure complete with roping, riding, and racing—based on real animals from her own Texas ranch.

This picture book for ages 4–8:

• Is an inspiring, animal-filled story of resilience and self-confidence
• Features beautiful, engaging artwork and photos of the real-life Rosie and Oakley
• Includes fun horse and rodeo facts in the back matter
• Is written by Paige Murray, debut author and wife of nine-time World Champion Cowboy Ty Murray

My Review:

This is a wonderful story about not only a horse who has a dream, but a little girl as well. This is such a sweet story for young children to absorb in their younger years. A wonderful way to let them know they can be and do whatever they aspire to! They just need to put in the work. Now, granted, this book has them training for a few days, and we all know that it takes longer than that to gain skills needed for a hobby or a dream. That, of course, is something that can be share with your little one as you read the story.

The story is realistic in that, there will always be naysayers in the world. Those that either don't believe in you or your dream. Also, sometimes when you pursue your dreams, it may take a while to find where you fit or what your strength is. I can be easier to see the weaknesses, especially in the beginning. BUT, if we have someone to cheer us on and encourage us, like Rosie has with Oakley, it's possible to keep going and keep trying. Then, when we find where we fit in our passion, others will be cheering us on as well!

The illustrations are delightful! They're big and have beautiful detail. The grouchy cat cracked me up throughout the story. The font is large and I liked that they mixed it up numerous times with a western/rodeo type font. The author did a lovely job of conveying the purpose of the story! 

About the Author:

Paige Murray, a Southern belle from South Carolina, lives on a Texas cattle ranch with her daughter Oakley and husband, 9X World Champion Cowboy Ty Murray. A Clemson University Animal Science graduate, Paige began her career in modeling and TV reporting. She’s been NASCAR Miss Sprint Cup, appeared on CMT’s Sweet Home Alabama, FOX Sports, and hosted Southern Fried Skinnyfied. Passionate about fitness and cooking, Paige self-published a healthier cookbook and now writes children’s books inspired by ranch life.

About the Illustrator:

Kristen Humphrey grew up in a small town in southeastern Texas where she spent most of her days drawing and trail riding through pine forests with her beloved thoroughbred, Zeus. She has always shared her home with many different animals who have heavily influenced her artwork. Her love of animals helped influence her artwork in her latest picture book, Rosie’s Wild Ride. While studying Visualization at Texas A&M University, Kristen became interested in children’s book illustration and began using the skills and techniques she was learning to develop her own illustrative style. When she is not drawing, Kristen enjoys dog walking, hiking, and horseback riding in her spare time.