Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse

Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse by Meghan McCarthy is a pretty cute picture book about, what else?, the racehorse Seabiscuit.  My sister and I love horses, she a little more than me, but when the movie Seabiscuit came out, she was obsessed.  I remember driving to the local movie theater to get her a poster, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to get it for her (and why not review it beforehand?).

If you have no idea who Seabiscuit is, here is a quick little bio from wikipedia (if its not on wikipedia, its not worth knowing):
Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression. Seabiscuit became the subject of a 1949 film, The Story of Seabiscuit; a 2001 book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend; and a 2003 film, Seabiscuit, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

And now, a summary from Goodreads:

Seabiscuit was the grandson of one of the greatest racehorses of all time, but he'd lost practically every race he'd ever run. Who would want a funny-looking racehorse on a losing streak? Enter Charles Howard -- automobile tycoon, risk taker, and racing aficionado -- who scooped up Seabiscuit for a bargain price.
With the support and care of a clever new trainer and a loving jockey, 'Biscuit began winning bigger and bigger races. Then came the biggest race of all. As Seabiscuit prepared to face War Admiral, the top racehorse in the country, the entire nation was on the edge of its seat: Could Seabiscuit really beat the Triple Crown champion?
This true story of hope and determination will inspire readers of all ages!

My thoughts:
What a cute book!  The story is easy to follow, even for beginning readers.  There aren't a lot of words per page, but its packed full of information about Seabiscuit, race horses, Seabiscuit's "people", and life during the Great Depression.

The pictures are cartoony, with big eyed people and animals that have huge grins, but kids would love it.

In the back, there is an author's note explaining more in depth about Seabiscuit, Charles Howard and Red Pollard.  There is also a list of sources, in case you want to further research or create a text set for your classroom library.

If you couldn't tell, I would have no problems having this in my classroom.  I now wish I had gotten a copy for myself (but there was only one).