Red City Review: 5 Stars for Frosty and the Nightstalker
A great book for horse lovers of all ages, Backyard Horse Tales 2: Frosty and the Nightstalker by Jackie Anton is a well-put-together book that both entertains and informs. The narrative follows Frosty, a playful Appaloosa colt who begins to undergo strange experiences when he has visions of an earlier time. Switching from the late twentieth century to the 1870s, the reader is taken to witness the life of another Appaloosa who lives with the Nez Perce Native American tribe. While Frosty has been told he has an old soul, the story of the horses in the late nineteenth century live very different lives from what Frosty does. Are these visions coming as a result of the collective memories of Appaloosas? Or is something more complex causing the horse to undergo this strange incidence of fluctuation?
This book is enjoyable for multiple reasons, the main one being the different viewpoints, settings, and timelines that take place in the lives of the horses that are depicted. By following both Frosty, and Nightstalker, we are able to see how horses existed throughout the course of the United States history. Young adults, to whom this book seems to be targeted, will learn a great deal about the history of the west and the Native Americans themselves. Anton has written a one of a kind book, as this piece seems unlike anything else we’ve ever seen in the realm of horse books. The illustrations by Sandy Shipley complement the words very well, and the appendix and vocabulary pages at the back of the book are nice touches that offer up even more helpful information to the reader. All in all, this is an original book that was clearly put together with love, dedication, and great care.
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