Amateau, Gigi. Dante: Horses of the Maury River Stables.

Amateau, Gigi.  Dante: Horses of the Maury River Stables.  Candlewick Press  2016  306p  $6.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-8754-0  ms  Animal  VG 

A retired racehorse finds a second chance at life.  Told from the horse’s point of view, this is the story of Dante’s Inferno -- a racehorse whose grandfather was the greatest racehorse of all time.  However, Dante fails as a racehorse and ends up at a rescue facility run by rehabilitating prisoners before being adopted by the Maury River Stables, where he becomes a project horse.  Dante slowly befriends other horses, Daisy and Napoleon, and he lowers his guard.  Can he succeed on the cross-country course?  Readers will race through the book to find out.

Some readers may find the use of dialect off-putting, but animal lovers will embrace this engaging horse story. While it is not packed with action, it offers emotional depth and Dante is an appealing character.  Readers who enjoy the book will be delighted to learn that it is part of a series, although this volume can stand on its own.

Summary: A retired racehorse finds a second chance at life as a project horse on a stable run by prisoners.

Horses-Fiction, Horse racing-Fiction                  --Hilary Welliver