“PINTO! deserves a spot on the reading lists of not only young, horse-crazy readers, but adults who like horse tales ala Black Beauty.”— Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Reviews“A forgotten piece of Americana brought to vivid life.”— Kirkus Reviews“PINTO! revives an amazing part of history that has lain forgotten for ages. It is written with a unique twist and is both informative and entertaining.” … Reviews
“PINTO! revives an amazing part of history that has lain forgotten for ages. It is written with a unique twist and is both informative and entertaining.” — Edith Wairimu for Readers’ Favorite
In 1912, four men, calling themselves the “Overland Westerners,” decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World’s Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey… Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country! This is Pinto’s account of his arduous adventure.
more
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Pinto is a great read for your child to read. I think maybe 4th grade and up. And especially if the enjoy horse stories. This story is about a group of men who called themselves the “Overland Westerners” decided to ride on horses to every state Capitol in the US, taking a picture with the Governor and traveling on to the next. They also expected to be taken care of where then landed in a state. But that was not so easily done. A lot of people were not familiar with this group, and could have cared less, even the governor. It was a mixture, some of the states welcomed them and set them up, fed them and sent them on their way, some did not. They didn’t have a lot of money and struggled quite a bit, went hungry, but was still determined to complete their mission. Could Pinto last for 3 years and thousands of miles? Is he strong enough to carry his load to the end of their journey?
This is a cute story with and even cuter horse named Pinto. The author tells this story through the eyes of Pinto, which was so fun and interesting. I enjoyed the conversations between the horses as much as I did the men! I think my take from this book is wondering what our animals really are thinking about us! Now every time I am with an animal close up I will always be wondering what they are thinking. I will also look for signs of the reactions to see if I can figure them out!
One more thing, this story is based on a true story. There really was a group of men that took this journey. The author has a ton of info in the back of the book if you would be so interested to check it out. There are maps, pictures taken during the real original tour back in the early 1900’s. A list of states and dates the Overland Westerners were there, resources for articles and songs. And I found all if this so interesting. A MUST read for horse lovers!!
If you enjoy horse stories, or if you have children who do, this is a sweet read, and I hope you enjoy as much as I did!! If you love history, you will have a blast with all of the history on this book, as well as researching everything the author has added for readers. And I can’t forget about the stunning the cover. Love the horse there.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade
Pinto! is the first book I have read by MJ Evans. I loved that it was based on true events and based on the longest horseback ride in history. I thought this was a fascinating story. It starts off in 1912 when the Overland Westerners, four men, who decided to ride horseback to each state capitals in the forty eight states at the time. During this adventure, they endured quite a few hardships, such as rough roads, roaring waters, robbers, and not having enough to eat and drink. But they were determined to complete their mission. It took them three years to complete and seventeen horses. One of these horses include one special little horse, Pinto, who was the only one that last through the whole journey. It was great learning about the geography and history of the time.
The most fun part of reading Pinto! is that the story itself is coming the horse’s point of view. I loved seeing what the horse’s thoughts were. I loved the courage and bravery to continue on. My horse crazy eleven year old daughter was, also, entertained from the beginning and it continued until the last page.
I am giving Pinto! a very well deserved five plus stars. I would love to read more by this author in the near future. I recommend it for younger readers, especially horse lovers. I am excited to donate my copy to the local elementary school library. I know the children will love it.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
It takes a special author to tell a story from a horse’s point of view. You must understand horses, people, and be able to write with enough detail about the animals to make the story believable. Is Pinto a believable story? It should be because IT’S TRUE! Based on the Longest Horseback Ride in History, Pinto! tells the story of four men who started out from Washington state, on horseback, planning to visit all 48 state capitals. They expected to receive fame and riches. Pinto, a beautiful Morab (half Morgan, half Arabian), tells the story of their amazing journey from 1 May 1912 to 1 June 1915. Trials, hardships, fun, and some fame followed the Overland Westerners on their journey. Now you can take the journey right along with Pinto. This is a story for children and adults. Parents can read it to their children while following the Overland Westerners on a map. I highly recommend this book.