Ursula Moray Williams (1911–2006)

As an adult, I had to set aside my normal standards for fantasy (why is he animate, why can he talk, why can other toys and animals talk, why does human society consider this normal, how can he be faster/stronger than an actual horse, etc. etc. etc.), and assume that if it were read to me when I was a child, I'd have had no problem with it.

This is rather a harrowing book, more like Black Beautythan Raggedy Ann—this horse suffers, and suffers greatly. He is despondent for much of the book, tortured, or tortures himself. He's often rewarded for his efforts, but these rewards are usually short-lived. It was hard to take in a single sitting (I read it yesterday afternoon while supervising a lengthy kids' homework session).

But I rooted for the little wooden horse. I was invested. The author made me care. So I persisted through to the end (thank goodness, there's a happy ending, no Little Mermaid or Velveteen Rabbit trauma to endure). If I were to read it aloud, I'd do one chapter a night, with frequent reassurings of "don't worry, it'll all work out in the end," to sensitive children.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!… (mere)

The little wooden horse is made out of wood by Uncle Peder, who sells wooden toys to children for a living. When he made the wooden horse (whose name is not written in the book) he decided that it did look so nice with its blue stripes and red saddle that he would sell it for five shillings. But when the town folk came out to buy Uncle Peder's toys, none of them had five shiny shillings to pay. Also, the little wooden horse had been crying to stay by his master's side, and nobody wanted a crying little wooden horse.

The next market time, no children were in the streets at all. "Maybe they're at school," Uncle Peder suggested to the little wooden horse. But when he found ripped newspaper on the concrete, that really explained everything. A new toyshop (that sold horrible, cheap toys) had been opened, and now every child had wanted to go to there and not to Uncle Peder.

Without any children to sell toys to, the old carpenter began to lose money. He sold his coat; even his shoes; his jacket and everything that he could; but soon that money died away, too. Now, without any clothes to go on his thin layers (it was winter at the time), Uncle Peder got ill with a fever and he was nearly as poor as any man could be.

When the old man fell asleep in a barn, the little wooden horse set out to earn a few more coins and come back in the morning. But while he was gone, the owner of a barn - a kind-hearted lady, though who often lost her temper - came and took Uncle Peder in. He had a serious fever. Yet when the horse came back, he was threatened to be chopped into firewood by the lady, as he annoyed her by battering on her door, and the little wooden horse ran away, as frightened as ever he had been.

Learn more about the little horsey and his master by reading the book 'The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse'.

I thought that this book was particularly long for me, and I am not the best fan of long books; but I think that for people who do, this would be quite a good book. I think it might be all and well 'true' for the story, but I have to say, the little wooden horse has a bit TOO many adventures ;)

Good book, good plot, but not the sort of story for me. I think it well-written, and aimed for about 7-10-year-olds.… (mere)

This book was about a witch's cat called Gobbolino. But who'd heard of a witch's cat like Gobbolino with one white paw, beautiful blue eyes, a faint sheet of tabby on him and preferred sitting by a fire than being evil like a proper witch's cat? Well, as soon as the witch, Grimalkin his mother, and his little sister Sootica found out, they all left him one day in the dark, scary cave.

When Gobbolino trots outside, he goes on many, many adventures - on a ship, in the woods, in a tower - but will he ever find himself as a little kitchen cat as he'd always dreamed? Let's see!

This book wasn't the best, I liked it, but I wouldn't read it a thousand times like I might with Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Mr Gum. But when I sat down on my cosy bed and read a chapter, I got quite into it, but to me I was struggling with all the chapters. Not because there were too many big and hard words, but because I just didn't like it too much.… (mere)