Wild, mysterious, and isolated, the horses of Sable Island have the potential to be a lightning rod for children’s imaginations. When our family read Free as the Wind during part of our family’s study of Nova Scotia in our homeschool, these horses and the child-level activism that led to the reinstatement of their freedom (following plans to sell them for dog food) permanently etched themselves upon the mind of my oldest daughter (8).

Her notebooking page for Nova Scotia was filled with writing and drawings telling the story of these horses and historical details (including dates drawn from the interior cover flaps) that we gleaned from author Jamie Bastedo’s telling of their story for children. Taken from the events of the 1960’s, Bastedo’s fictional narrative follows a boy from Sable Island as he moves to Halifax, Nova Scotia with the deportation of the horses. Children are then able to follow the letter writing campaign that Canadian school children engaged in, and the encouraging results – freedom for the horses – that their early political engagement resulted in.

Some of the scene transitions felt a bit choppy, but this picture book covers aspects of Canadian history and political process that are rarely seen in children’s literature. This is, in fact, the first book that I have read that is specifically about the horses of Sable Island.

I can’t imagine failing to revisit this book the next time we visit Nova Scotia in our studies, and I am thankful for the delightful reception it has received from all of my children (who often climb into my knee and ask me to read it for them.)

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com ( )