Yatimah

By Catherine Hapka
Animal: Horse
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

This is part of the Horse Diaries series (#6). Horse lovers, especially those in grades 3 to 5, will enjoy these quick reads about horses in different time periods and places.  The horse tells the story in the first person.  In this entry in the series, Yatimah is an orphaned Arabian filly, living with her nomadic Bedouin tribe in the 9^th century.  In this culture, mares are highly valued, particularly in the use for raiding other tribes for their animals.  At first, Yatimah is ignored by the tribe leader, Nasr, because her birth caused the death of his favorite mare.  But as Yatimah grows in beauty and skill, even Nasr is won over by her.  Readers will enjoy the interesting setting and background of the story.  With handsome black and white illustrations scattered throughout, horse and animal fans will learn a lot about the Bedouin lifestyle along with the story.  There's even some extra information about Arabian horses at the end of the story.