HORSE & BUGGY ON ICE!

Did you know horses could ice-skate?

Horse, a spotted gray stallion, and Buggy, a long-lashed horsefly, are back for some wintry fun. Buggy is impressed with Horse’s ice-skating abilities, but as Horse gets bolder, Buggy grows concerned that Horse will fall. Horse reassures Buggy that all is well…until a mistimed somersault results in an ice-cracking fall. Still, Horse is unhurt, and soon the duo are back on the ice, trying again with all the style of professional skaters. Designed to encourage reading through simple sentences and repetitive word choices, the story is brief, and the resolution is less exciting than the buildup implies. While die-hard fans of the series will welcome a new title, this outing may prove less thrilling and less humorous to those unfamiliar with the pair’s previous antics. The concise text and Buggy’s deadpan expressions may make curious readers wonder if the horsefly is expressing concern for the showboating Horse or is just an insectoid Debbie Downer predicting gloom and doom. Horse’s wacky body language and expressive face provide most of the book’s humor, but it may not be enough to keep this book from skating on thin ice.

The humor’s fallen…and it can’t get up.