Percy: The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run

by M.J. Evans, Gaspar Sabater (illustrator)

What happens when you are born to be a great racehorse and you don't like to run? Percy, a little colt named after his father and grandfather, was born to be a racehorse. But, despite his mother's encouragement, he just doesn't like to run. A friendship with a young boy in a wheelchair leads him to find his true purpose in life.

30 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2018

About the author

I am a graduate of Oregon State University. Upon graduation, I spent five years teaching at the middle school and high school levels. My writing, at that time, was limited to curriculum. That was not fun.

While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.

About fifteen years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the plains or in the mountains. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! The result of that work was the publication of Riding Colorado-Day Trips from Denver with Your Horse, and Riding Colorado II. Both books continue to sell very well in the Denver to Colorado Springs area and have made my horse famous.

I was able to combine my love of horses with my love of fantasy in my first Trilogy. The Mist Trilogy, comprised of Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the Rising Mist received a gold medal from the Mom's Choice Awards. My next fantasy, an allegory of the Revolutionary War, but with Trolls and Leprechauns, won first place in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for fantasy. I took a brief (2 year) break from writing fantasy to complete a contemporary, coming of age novel titled "In the Heart of a Mustang." This YA novel won first place in the Literary Classics Awards for Young Adult fiction and second place in the Nautilus Awards in the same category.

On October 1, 2016, I released the first book of my new fantasy series "The Stone of Mercy: Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles."

I have now expanded my writing interests to include Historical Fiction: "PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History," and "The Sand Pounder - Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII."
I have also had fun working with illustrators on five picture books: "PERCY - The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run," and "The Skullington Family Series."

I describe myself as a “Mozart” type of writer as opposed to a “Beethoven” writer. When I sit down to write, the words just flow and I don’t have to go back and do a lot of revisions.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming story, illustrated on all pages, about a foal (not a racehorse) which finds another purpose in life beyond racing. We also meet a boy who loves horses and who uses a wheelchair, so the tale is good for introducing coping with disability.

A little fact here: I owned Thoroughbreds and as young horses they are not suited to give rides to children with disabilities. As mature horses, this could be a great semi-retirement for them.

On another level, the example of Percy can show us that we don't need to do everything that is expected or traditional. If we feel we should express ourselves differently, we can still find a valued place. I enjoyed the read and the artwork. I downloaded an e-ARC. This is an unbiased review.

[M.J. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author of this book, I wanted to share a little insight with you. This is my first, and probably only, picture book as being limited to 1000 words and 30 pages (the industry standard for picture books) is really hard for a novel writer. However, I wanted the experience of working with an illustrator to create the images in my head through both word and art. The illustrator, Gaspar Sabater, was so fun to work with and so patient with all my demands. I had a clear picture in my head of how Percy and the other horses should look and he changed and altered until I said, "That's it!" This book is designed to read aloud to 3 to 7-year-olds, especially those who love horses!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: PERCY: The Racehorse Who Didn't like to Run
Author: M.J. Evans, ill. by Gaspar Sabater

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 18
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 18 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘This is a very sweet book. I loved the pony and how he helped the boy.’ Female reader, aged 7
‘What a wonderful story. The children in my class liked the illustrations and, of course, the story. They felt it was a good book for children with a disability. It would help them to think, ‘Yes, I can do/be anything!’ The language is young child appropriate and seemed well-edited.’ Female reader (teacher), aged 50
‘I have never heard of a therapy horse. Therapy dogs, yes. But a horse! How wonderful for children to be given a chance to ride. Books of this nature help to bring about change. There’s no greater compliment.’ Male reader (teacher), aged 67
‘This is a good book but I didn’t think it was funny at all. I think funny bits would make it even better. I liked the pony and the pony’s mum. I also liked how he helped the children with problems. The picture on the front is okay too.’ Female reader, aged 8

To Sum It Up:
‘A wonderfully illustrated picture book with a good message for young children – and adults – to learn. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percy is a young colt with a white star on his forehead. From the day of his birth, his adoring mother began telling him of his purpose, to be a racehorse like his father and grandfather. But Percy much prefers to watch the butterflies and visit through the fence with the young boy in a wheelchair who brings him sugar cubes. Percy wants to please his mother but begins to wonder if he might, perhaps, have another purpose in life.

Multi award-winning author M.J. Evans has crafted this charming children's picture book which is sure to become a favorite with readers of all ages. Lovingly penned, with vibrant illustrations by Gaspar Sabater, Percy The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run is highly recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percy: The Racehorse Who Didn’t Like to Run by M.J. Evans is both an entertaining and serious story about choices and purpose in life. Multi award winning author, M.J. usually scribes middle grade books. This is her first picture book. With simple, beautiful illustrations by Gaspar Sabater, M.J.’s story comes to life as Percy struggles with who he is destined to be, and what he wants to be. The lovely ending shows children that we have choices in our lives and have to decide for ourselves which way to go. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

[Lisa Reinicke · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be a horse lover to fall in love with Percy. This story has meaning far beyond the simple children's picture book. It can speak to adults as they read along that we all have a purpose in life and a dream that we were meant to fulfill. What we are born with isn't always obvious until we take the chance to wander into our destiny.
Bravo Margi for speaking to the heart of our children and giving them a story they can read over and over again and find new meaning with every page.

[seahorse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had the chance to see the magic of hippotherapy in my work. Percy's struggle to find himself instead of following in the footsteps of his family touches a chord for readers, young and old. The horses that help people with autism, brain injury and other challenges have Percy's sensitivity. Margi Evans finds a joyful way to encourage every reader and listener to follow their heart.
Barb Lundy

[Dede Stockton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a valuable lesson to all! Percy proves that we all need to follow our own path and do what makes us happy! He knew he didn't want to be a racehorse even if that is what he was bred to be. A small boy in a wheelchair provide the inspiration for Percy to choose his own path! Sweet story of courage and persistence. Loved the story and the illustrations!