Review of Hold Yer Horses, Pardner!

[Rashad Deniro Price]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hold Yer Horses, Pardner!" by Cody Spencer.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Our convictions or opinions about someone or something can be shaped by a whole lot of factors, some of which may not be immediately obvious to us. We might be led by some earlier experiences to hold certain views and might not be readily willing to consider other possibilities or the "evolved version" of someone or something. I think this is a fundamental issue in our society and is worth addressing.

Hold Yer Horses, Pardner! is a children's story written by Cody Spencer, and it explores, among other things, the issue of hasty assumptions and the consequent risks of making false accusations. The story mainly revolves around the cowboys Jake and Jed. Through the incidence of the missing sandwich, the hat joke, and the scene of a goat on the rooftop, the difference between appearance and reality is clearly demonstrated and mapped to teach invaluable lessons on objective reasoning, thorough investigation, and friendlier interpersonal relationships.

One of the remarkable merits of this story is its emphasis on the need for one to understand the true nature of things before forming opinions or making comments, irrespective of how "indisputable" one's immediate hunch might seem. The thing is, there are people serving different kinds of punishments for crimes or accusations they know absolutely nothing about. We even have records of mistaken identities! So I think this story offers children one of the fundamental educations they need growing up.

The story also explores other impactful lessons, like being humble enough to accept our mistakes and being open enough to learn and reinvent ourselves, among others. I so much appreciated the twists and turns that came with each hasty assumption and the eventual revelation of what really happened. Furthermore, the story was well illustrated, thanks to the amazing artwork from Carol Choi, and the rhyming scheme is enthralling. The text was thoroughly proofread, and the work was expertly executed. I do not think that there is anything that could have been improved. Because of all these, I am pleased to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to every child.

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Hold Yer Horses, Pardner!
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[Amy Luman]

Unfortunately, many of the assumptions we make are incorrect simply because we do not have enough information. It’s also easier. You know what they say happens when you assume, but that’s probably not appropriate for kids either. Just to get them thinking about where their assumptions come from is a worthy goal. Thanks!