BLACK DIAMOND AND BLAKE

By Deborah Blumenthal

Children's Books

Language: English Not Rated (NR)

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Overview Ratings & Reviews

BLACK DIAMOND AND BLAKE IS THE STORY OF A RETIRED RACEHORSE THAT'S SAVED FROM SLAUGHTER AND TRANSFERRED TO A HORSE-CARE PROGRAM AT A PRISON WHERE IT DEVELOPS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH AN INMATE.

The Story Behind This Book

The book was inspired by a New York Times article about the growing number of horse-care programs at prisons around the country and the therapeutic benefits they offer to both the men and the horses.

Praise and Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—Black Diamond, a prize racehorse, is sold to a prison horse-care program after he is injured and can no longer compete. He feels abandoned by the human family he has always worked to please, but he gets a second chance at happiness when he meets Blake, the inmate chosen to care for him through the rehabilitation program. The two form a close bond, but then Blake finishes his sentence and Black Diamond's care is given over to two insensitive inmates. "For days, weeks, and months, Black Diamond looked for Blake." Just when the horse has given up hope, the man returns with enough money to purchase him and take him home. Beautiful dry pastel illustrations in warm tones harken back to a time of Art Deco, the Golden Age of cinema, and WPA murals. Told from the perspective of Black Diamond, the sensitive story sometimes borders on sentimentalism, but it is genuinely moving, so these moments are easy to forgive. This unique tale, distinctly set in the past and based on actual contemporary work-rescue programs, offers children a vision of hope for the discarded animals and humans of our society.—Madeline Walton-Hadlock, San Jose Public Library, CA

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