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Panda: A Guide Horse for Ann
People are often surprised when they first see Panda guiding her owner, Ann Edie through her New York town. Panda is a miniature horse, and she knows how to help Ann go anywhere she wants to go. As a guide horse, it is Panda's job to see for Ann, guiding her across busy streets, through crowded buildings, and even into cars or onto trains. Panda is one of the first miniature horses to be trained as a guide animal, and she takes her responsibility to Ann very seriously. Ann and Panda use special signals to tell each other when to stop, when to go, or where there might be danger. Together they can tackle almost any situation with confidence.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 29, 2019
I stumbled across Rosanna Hansen's Panda: A Guide Horse for Ann at my public library this past weekend, and being intrigued by the idea of miniature horses being used as seeing-eye animals, checked it out on impulse. I'm glad that I did, as I really enjoyed the main "story" - in which Panda and Ann train with one another - and think I learned quite a bit, about the potential that miniature horses hold, as helping animals for blind people. Hansen first takes the reader through some of Ann's activities with Panda, before turning to the story of the very first seeing-eye horse, Cuddles, and her trainers in North Carolina, and concluding with the tale of Panda's purchase and training, in upstate New York. The text is copiously illustrated with color photographs by Neil Soderstrom.
According to The Guide Horse Foundation, miniature horses are a good choice for the blind because they are long-lived, intelligent, have excellent sight, and a calm temperament. This informative picture-book has really convinced me that this is true, and while seeing-eye horses are not yet that common, I imagine that they will become so in the future, as disabled people with allergies to, or phobias of, dogs look for other options. Recommended to young horse lovers looking for something a little different, and to those interested in helping animals.
According to The Guide Horse Foundation, miniature horses are a good choice for the blind because they are long-lived, intelligent, have excellent sight, and a calm temperament. This informative picture-book has really convinced me that this is true, and while seeing-eye horses are not yet that common, I imagine that they will become so in the future, as disabled people with allergies to, or phobias of, dogs look for other options. Recommended to young horse lovers looking for something a little different, and to those interested in helping animals.
March 18, 2022
Super cute book for anyone who loves animals.
December 27, 2012
Easy non-fiction about the training of Panda, a miniature horse, to be a guide animal for Ann, who is blind. With great explanations and lots of clear photos, this is a wonderful introduction to this relatively new field in which horses can be useful to humans. Very well done.
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March 3, 2009We just read the captions on the pictures
July 29, 2013
Nice to have exposure to mini horses as guide animals, but SO poorly written and LONG! We just enjoyed the pictures.
November 2, 2013
Long picture book with a few too many details that drug it down, in our opinion - but still, an interesting concept to learn about.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews