This is the first children’s picture book in the Quincy Horse series. Camille Matthews’ book is a wonderful story about a red horse named Quincy. Quincy lived on a very quiet farm for a long time and he was quite lonely. One spring day, much to his amazement, a lady and man came to the pasture and looked at Quincy and took him to his new home. Quincy was really angry at first but then discovered that maybe this was the best for him given his current life.

When he arrives at his new home, he meets Beau, a wonderful girl who befriends him. He is no longer feeling lonely and he discovers that despite the fact that he cannot do a lot of things that the other horses do such as jump jumps and win ribbons, he can still be a friend to Beau and he could do things that the other horses can’t.

This is a story about courage, friendship, and strength. Camille Matthews shows that we all have strengths that can be discovered. Once we do, our life can be transformed into something really meaningful and beautiful. We can finally gain the confidence that we so much desire with a good friend by our side!

Lastly, the illustrations are so vivid and realistic. It is a picture book like no other that I’ve seen. Rarely do I feel so drawn into the story by the pictures; even Quincy’s eyes showed sadness and uncertainty. When you find a gifted illustrator teamed up with a great writer, the result is magic!