One of Virginia Lee Burton’s lesser known works, Calico the Wonder Horse reads like a comic book, with one or two black and white drawings on each page. Captions under each image tell the story of Calico, the fastest horse in Cactus County, and her cowboy Hank. In true Burton style, they work together to capture some cattle rustlers, but Calico is the real hero of the day. Young readers will be reminded of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne. Burton’s illustrations look like block etchings and add a unique style to the book’s layout.
A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother.
