Review by Booklist Review
In the exuberant fourth entry in the Horse & Buggy (I Like to Read) series, the goofy spotted stallion straps on skates and shows off his fancy moves. Proud of his prowess on the ice, Horse asserts: "I am very good." Geisel medalist Long's zippy digital-cartoon illustrations, with "Shick Shick Shick" sound effects, humorously capture Horse's applause-worthy speedy upright spins, long-legged lunges, and show stops. As the choreography gets more complex, Buggy (his cautious horsefly pal) frets from the sidelines: "You will fall!" Full of cool confidence, Horse emphatically avows, in speech-bubble dialogue, that he's not going to get hurt. But even the best skaters fall sometimes, and when Horse lands with an inevitable "WHAM!," he dusts himself off, puts his toque back on, and says, "Let's try again!" Resilience and determination come in handy when ice-skating, and also when learning to read. With smoothly executed controlled vocabulary, On Ice supports emergent readers in their solo efforts.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--A quick, silly tale about two friends, Horse and Buggy, on ice skates. As Horse, a big goofy horse, attempts spins and leaps across the ice, Buggy, a furry little bug with long lashes, worries that Horse will get hurt, even though Horse insists he won't. When Horse finally does crash, he quickly recovers, and Horse and Buggy are skating together again. As with all the books in the "Horse & Buggy" series, this one is short and incredibly easy to navigate. There are only about 75 words total, and the texts and pictures work together to move the plot forward. Visually, this is very funny, with Horse's rubber band limbs bending in every direction as he dances--"Shick! Shick! Shick!"--across the ice. But the funniest image is the final scene where Buggy holds Horse high in the air with one hand as the two skate, eyes closed, in full costume. The two friends have already painted, danced, and planted in the "Horse & Buggy" series; now they skate. VERDICT With very little assistance, emerging readers will enjoy working their way through this silly, funny book.--Jennifer Miskec
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. (Early reader. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
