 | |
| Author | Mary Pope Osborne |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ned Bittinger |
| Published | 1997 |
| Publisher | Scholastic Incorporated |
Rocking Horse Christmas is a 1997 children's fiction Christmas picture book by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Ned Bittinger. It was originally published in 1997, by Scholastic. [1]
The story is about a boy who finds a rocking horse under his Christmas tree. He names the rocking horse Shadow, and together they go through many imaginary adventures. The boy grows up and Shadow is left in the attic where he awaits the return of the boy. Years go by and the boy's son rediscovers Shadow and soon this new boy and Shadow have their own imaginary adventures. [2] [3] [4]
Booklist described Osborne's text as a "heartfelt simplicity and a touch of melancholy" while also calling Bittinger's oil paintings "spectacular". [5] The School Library Journal called the story "rich in the spirit of Christmas" and called the illustrations "rich in palette and detail." The Horn Book Magazine also applauded Bittinger's oil illustrations saying that they "effectively portray both boys' imaginary travels." [2] Rocking Horse Christmas was chosen by The American Booksellers as their "Pick of the Lists." [6] An article in Albemarle Magazine stated that Bittinger spent six months working on preliminary drawings and the illustrations for the book. [7]
One of Bittinger's illustrations from the book was featured on the cover of the Lands' End kids' holiday catalog in 1997. [8]
Magic Tree House is an American series of children's books written by the American author Mary Pope Osborne. The original American series was illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca until 2016, after which AG Ford took over. Other illustrators have been used for foreign-language editions.
Mary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobooknarrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will.
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The Paperboy is a 1996 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Inspired by Pilkey's own experiences as a paperboy, it tells the story of a paperboy and his dog as they deliver newspapers in the early hours of the morning. The Paperboy received positive reviews from critics and was awarded a 1997 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.
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