The village of Amanta is just about ready to celebrate its moon festival when the news spreads that the king’s first daughter, Ada, has become sad and unable to smile. Since she is widely recognized as a compassionate soul who helps the people in her community, the people of Amanta become distressed and seek to help lift her spirits. Unfortunately, nothing seems to make a difference. But then Turtle, known for his wisdom, tells the king he knows how to help his daughter, and he goes to get his friend Horse—a magician and dancer—to perform for the royal family at the festival. Through their knowledge of what will make her happy, they bring a smile to Ada’s face once again, and they become princes as a result.

This story makes for a fun little fairy tale within a peaceful community. Everyone here is sweet and gentle, and it gets emphasized that Horse’s unique talents are what help Ada to smile again. In other words, he “shares his abilities” to make things a little bit better for someone in need, and that is an important lesson to carry away from this story. However, it is also worth noting that the efforts of Turtle, who went to get Horse, and the consideration of all the other kind residents of Amanta, ultimately helped achieve a happy ending to the proceedings. In that sense, they share their abilities as well. With its fanciful narrative and colorful illustrations, this book would be a good bedtime story for young children, especially if those children really love horses.

Return to USR Home