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