A Horse Called Now

‘When I’m afraid, I breathe in and out and let the feelings come…. And then go. Nothing lasts for ever’, says Horse.  So begins this delightful book about tackling imagined fears. Horse, called Now, lives in the moment, and continues to dispense his wisdom, as one after another, a group of rabbits, a hen and chicks and a sheep and her lambs, all arrive noisily at Now’s feet, all terrified of what they think is chasing them. ‘Farmer has a terrifying new dog,’ trembles a lamb. ‘He might have claws like saws, and fangs as long as spears.’ ‘Or he might not,’ responds Now, as he allays their fears. When a huge bang terrifies all the assembled animals, Now explains it is only a clap of thunder which heralds a storm, which is a real threat. He leads them all to shelter in a barn, where they meet an even more potentially terrifying crowd of animals sheltering. The whole book is enchanting, the animals drawn both in text and pictures with great charm. An ideal book for bedtime, or at any time when it is appropriate to talk about real or imagined fears. Included is a QR code for a smartphone free audio reading of the book.