From the poem The Beauty of a Horse (found on www.horseforum.com):

The thunder clap of hooves
The wind in their mane
The thrill of flight
And the birth of a spring ride

In some parts of San Jose you will still find homes with enough land to accommodate raising horses. They are rare now - most of us live in suburban areas and some in the urban downtown – but a few aficionados still make it work, keeping stables and corrals and raising these beautiful animals. If you love horses, whether it’s riding or betting on a race or just admiring their beauty, San Jose Public Library has loads of beautiful pictorial books on horses for you to enjoy.

Spring brings new additions to the ranch where Cowgirl Kate and her loquacious horse, Cocoa, live. First they find a new calf, then Kate's given a frisky new puppy, and finally Kate and Cocoa investigate ghostly sounds in the barn. Who or what is making such unusal noises? This is the sixth book in the series, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa which continues to focus on the warm bond between two friends: one being a beloved talking but somewhat lazy horse and the other a can-do type of gal. Written by Erica Silverman, a librarian and winner of the Theodor (Seuss) Geisel  Honor award for the first Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa book and an ALA Notable Children's Book. The humorous illustrations were done by Betsy Lewin, the Caldecott honor winner for Click Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. You can visit ericasilverman.com and download a Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa bookmark. This series works well as either a read aloud or for a confident new reader to tackle on their own. The winning friendship between girl and horse will appeal to many early readers.