Quincy Finds a New Home — Camille Matthews

The Quincy the Horse Books, for K- 4, are a wonderful series for children who love animals and want to learn more about them. Quincy Finds A New Home is the first book of the series that introduces a red horse named Quincy. This is a story about the importance of friendship as one makes one's way in the world. Quincy's life is turned upside down when he gets a new owner and is taken to a new home, the biggest barn he has ever seen. Quincy has a problem. There are horse shows every Sunday and he does not know how to jump and win ribbons. When he makes a new friend, an old horse named Beau, he finally confides his secret. Together he and Beau find an unexpected answer to the problem. This engaging, comforting story is a debut for New Mexico author/illustrator team, Camille Matthews and Michelle Black that shows a knowledge and love of horses and attention to details of horse life that instill the books with authenticity. Author Camille Matthews encourages young readers to get to know Quincy on a personal level by exploring his attempts to sort out the world around him in more depth than might be usual in a children's picture book. She does this through an exploration of the whole range of his feelings, concerns and observations, as he tries to make sense of the changes and challenges he is experiencing, and by permitting him to take a chance and trust his new friend, Beau. In keeping with the theme of in depth experience, Black's artistic style is realistic but at the same time rich with color and detail. Her illustrations fulfill the concept of the picture book as a child's first experience of art. She successfully alternates soothing still life images, sensitive depictions of Quincy's emotions, and dramatic paintings of action. If there is one aspect of the Quincy the Horse Series that makes it worth a look, it is the vibrant artwork of the illustrations. Winner of a Mom's Choice Gold and Pinnacle Achievement Award in 2010.