Horse Diaries #11: Jingle Bells (Horse Diaries Special Edition)

"Horse Diaries - Jingle Bells - Special Edition" is the eleventh volume in the Horse Diaries series. This book is a wonderful youth book for horse lovers everywhere. An animal personification book in the tradition of "Black Beauty" and "Charlotte's Web", this book is a small (5 5/8 inch by 71/4 inch) 196 page gift size book -- a perfect stocking stuffer gift for the horse lover at Christmas. Its beautiful full color cover done in the traditional Christmas red and green colors with a silhouette of the main character - a Clydesdale Horse named "Jingle Bells" is sure to hook the attention of young readers.The story is enhanced by many intricate pencil sketches by the artist - Ruth Sanderson.As you read this book you will get to know "Jingle Bells" in a real way. The personification is so well done that you will feel that you have been carrying out a conversation with this Clydesdale and will sometimes forget he is actually a horse.This slightly historical fiction book takes place on a Wisconsin farm around the year 1915. That time period was when the Model T Ford began competing with horse power. The story is about a family of Norwegian descent and their wonderful Clydesdale horse named Jingle Bells. Young people will enjoy the story line all about life on this Wisconsin farm in the months before Christmas and the ironic events of Christmas itself.Readers will be enthralled as they journey through life on the farm from the summer work to the fall work and finally the winter work and the very special events of that 1915 Christmas on this Wisconsin farm. A taste of farm life through the eyes and ears of a huge, but gentle Clydesdale work horse awaits the reader of this book. As the reader journeys through the story, they will appreciate the beautiful realationship between Kari, the youngest daughter in the family, and her horse, Jingle Bells.It is early Spring and Jingle Bells's master's family gets word that their son, Martin and his wife, Pearl, are expecting a baby which is due about a month before Christmas. Everyone in the famliy is excited and they all look forward to Christmas when Martin and Pearl and their newborn baby will visit "Jingle Bells's" master's family on Christmas. Martin has been gone from the farm for sometime. He left his family and Wisconsin farm to work in Henry Ford's Automobile plant in Detroit.Christmas is only a few days away and Martin and Pearl and their newborn baby - Eva arrive on the farm with a big surprise - their horseless carriage - a brand new 1915 Model T Ford. The horseless carriage is almost as exciting as the newborn baby, herself! The family is ablaze with all the excitement of Christmas, the newborn baby, the Model T Ford and the anticipated Christmas visit to Kari's grandparents - Mormor and Morfar. "Jingle Bells" always pulled the family in a sleigh or carriage for their Christmas visit to Mormor and Morfar. The beautiful Clydesdale always wore a set of polished bells around his neck that jingled all the way on their flight to grandmother's house but this year was going to be different. Martin was going to drive his horseless carriage. Despite the objections and disappointment of Kari, her family decided to go in the horseless carriage because the newborn baby would be warmer and her grandparents would want to see Martin's Model T Ford.On Christmas Eve, the family sets out in the horseless carriage leaving "Jingle Bells" in the barn and Kari very disappointed that her annual Christmas tradition was destroyed by the Model T Ford. However an unexpected event occurs; the Model T Ford gets stuck in a snow covered ditch and "Jingle Bells" saves the day by pulling the car out of the ditch. The family then continues their journey but another unexpected event happens and once again "Jingle Bells" saves the day. You will want to read the book to find out what happens.This book has a bonus -- an appendix with several hands-on activities to make the reader's understanding of Clydesdale Horses and Norwegian Christmas traditions more meaningful. There are several pages devoted to the development of the Model T Ford and Henry Ford's early automobile industry. A wonderful history of Clydesdale horses is also covered. An interesting section detailing Scandanavian and Norwegian Christmas traditions is also included. In this section the reader learns about the Christmas season of Jul and Lussinatten where Trolls and other spirits are free to roam the earth to punish humans who work on this day. It is also believed that animals can talk to each other on Lussinatten night. St. Lucia's Day and Julenek are also described. A recipe for traditional Pepperkake Norwegian Christmas Cookies is included. Complete directions for making a traditional Norwegian Christmas decoration called Kremmerhus is also included. A twenty question "Horse Diaries Trivia" quiz is also included. Finally, there is a section that teaches the reader how to draw the horse - "Jingle Bells".Besides being a wonderful horse lovers' book, this book is a great tool to teach apreciation for other cultural celebrations of Christmas.I am somewhat concerned about some of the technical horse terms that are found in the beginning of the book. Terms like traces, noseband, gelding, halter, withers, harness, flanks, and gait may need further explanation but that is not necessarily a negative -- readers could use context clues and dictionaries to decode their meaning.I would recommend this book for young people in fourth grade or higher.

I definitely didn’t receive a new copy! The cover was bent up and edges of cover were damaged!

My 5 year old reads above average and asked me to purchase these books she currently on book 9 after receiving them the beginning of December.She loves to read and she reads everything, Its problem borrowing books from the library she always wants to keep them, I find myself purchasing books every few weeks.The stories are wonderful and she enjoys all the characters, the setting of the story and the images.She just enjoy the series I purchased the frist book during the summer and she asked me to purchase the series for the holiday when shes off from schoolThank you Horse Diaries

My 7 year old loved this book, it's a great story for any little girl, and especially those obsessed with horses (like our little daughter is). The family is descendants from Norway I believe, and the story is actually told by Jingle Bells. It's a great tale of the relationship this gentle giant has with the youngest daughter, and how even though the oldest brother works at Ford's factor in Michigan, and comes home with his fancy contraption, only to have Lars and Jingle rescue them. My daughter has request more of the Horse Diaries series (and I knew she would without even reading this book) once we finished this one. Great illustrations and wonderful story, beginning to end.

Just in time for Christmas! My daughter loved it. Age appropriate. It was sold out at the local stores so I was happy to find it on Amazon.

This was a great book! My 8 year old daughter read it with me and we both enjoyed it very much!

Purchased as a gift, receiver added it to her collection.

Delightful book that was DEVOURED by my horse-crazy girl when it arrived yesterday. Wonderful story, beautifully illustrated, and there are some really neat activities at the back of the book that relate to the story. (Scandinavian holiday customs/traditions, arts, cooking, crafts, and info about the horses & times) We are delighted with this book!

It was a nice old fashioned Christmas story from a horses point of view. I'm buying this series for one of my granddaughters who loves horses.

My daughter loved it. She is 11 so read it in a couple hours.

Perfect!