No Foal Yet

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2?When her grandfather's big work horse is about to foal, Nora can hardly wait for the birth. Days go by however, and each time Nora, her Gramps, or her Grams goes to check, the report is "no foal yet." The mare Bonnie is the only one not bothered by the wait though she does seem annoyed when they wake her up checking on her at night. The foal arrives when everyone is otherwise occupied and Bonnie manages without help. Nora and her grandfather watch the newborn get to its feet and Nora thinks of the perfect name for it: "Finally." Like the previous story about Nora and Gramps, Mowing (Greenwillow, 1994), this is a quiet book filled with a feeling of warmth and appreciation of the natural world. Smith's warm watercolor illustrations perfectly match the mood of the text. Large Bonnie's gentle nature is felt through the pictures, especially when she is licking her foal. Nora's relatively young grandparents seem appropriately exhausted and elated when the foal finally arrives. The wide double-page spreads seem a fitting design for this vignette of farm life. A good choice for story hours or classrooms.?Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From