A Horse Named Steve

February 1, 2017
To be different is to be a standout in this confusing little story.A smiling equine named Steve yearns for greatness--maybe even a ribbon. Fortunately, he encounters a "beautiful gold horn" lying on the ground, claps his hooves, affixes said horn to his head, and races off to brag to the forest critters. Unfortunately, the gold horn does not stay in place and falls to his chin, unseen. This is a calamity, and Steve expends much energy and emotion in his search for it, finally finding it in a pond as he stares at himself. Despite much splashing about, the horn is not retrievable, and meanwhile the other animals have one-upped him by strapping objects to their own heads. Not to worry, though. Steve decides he is still "exceptionally different!" because they all have headpieces and he does not. Collier varies her use of typefaces and sizes and adds some comic-book panels, authorial asides, and occasional definitions to the telling. When Steve announces his intention to be "exceptional," Collier adds "that means special" with an arrow pointing to the original word. The artwork is digitized ink and watercolor on white backgrounds. Steve is depicted comically with long straight legs and a long neck. Team spirit and individual achievement are certainly lacking in this attempt to explore what makes a horse (or a child) special. (Picture book. 3-6)

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March 15, 2017
Preschool-G Steve the horse very much wants to be exceptional. Some horses, he knows, get to wear ribbons (Steve doesn't have a ribbon). But when he stumbles across a gold horn one day, he knows he's found something exceptional at last! He straps the horn between his ears and prances off to show his friends, not noticing as it slowly slips off his head and down around his neck. In the background, all of Steve's assorted animal friends begin to strap objects to their own heads, but Bob the raccoon, growing increasingly annoyed with Steve's bragging, plays dumb: I don't see a beautiful gold horn on your head. You are NOT EXCEPTIONAL! Cue the theatrics as Steve tears the place apart looking for the thing that makes him special. The two-colored illustrations are as tongue-in-cheek as the text, which sports numerous dry asides. Steve, with his puffed chest and spindly legs, is pure caricature, and this tale of hubris and self-expression will have both parents and children rolling with laughter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Horse Steve, longing to be exceptional, straps a gold horn to his head and shows it off. When the horn slips off his head, Steve launches a hysterical all-out search (it's literally under his nose) until he realizes he's fabulous as is. Collier's beige-and-black ink and watercolor illustrations (comprised of vignettes, panels, and full spreads) extend the cheeky text, which includes deadpan asides.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)