Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse

by Ursula Moray Williams

Proud and brave, Uncle Peder had never made so fine a horse before. The little wooden horse loves Uncle Peder like a father and hopes never to leave him. When the toymaker falls on hard times, the little wooden horse must go out into the world to seek his fortune. But whether he's working in a coal mine, walking the tightrope in a circus, or gathering pirate treasure, the loyal little horse has only one desire: to return to his beloved master's side. First published in 1938, Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse is well-loved modern children's classic.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Classics, Fantasy, Adventure, Chapter Books, British Literature

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

Reviews

[Riv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I haven't read about the Little Wooden Horse in years, and I was so excited to pick him up again! He's so sweet, and agreeable, and determined, and hardworking, and, and and...
I think I'm in heart.

I recommend these books for EVERYONE. Seriously. EVERYONE. Read it to your little kids. Give it to that teenager you know that HATES reading. Give it to that 40 year old that you know LOVES reading. And buy it. And read it to your kids. Over and over and over again. Get your ancient copy rebound, so it will last forever and ever and ever...

[David Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it as a child and cried - even more so as the last few pages were missing from the infant school's library version.

I bought it as a teenager and cried. I finally read the ending and loved it.

Now, I think back with a happy memory of a book that, nowadays would possibly not get published, or find its audience as it did back then - too long for a bedtime storybook, possibly too long for a child's chapter book - but back then it worked!

It is a book of its time, but also timeless. Take that time again to read a well-delivered tale that will have you smiling and shedding a tear in equal measure.

[Sherrymoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das war doch wunderbar abenteuerlich! Ich bekam sicher rote Backen vor Aufregung beim Zuhören.
Vorleserin war meine verhasste Lehrerin, ein älteres Fräulein,und jeden Samstagmorgen in der letzten Stunde fand das Ritual statt. Das war anno 1957. Ich, der Erstklässler, der nach dem Vorlesen voll glühenden Erzählwillens nach Hause eilte und am Mittagstisch übersprudelnd die Abenteuer des Rössleins weitergab, vor meinen Eltern und meiner Schwester,bis dann der Vater beim zweiten oder dritten Mal dazwischenfuhr und lachte: Du sagst immer und dann und dann und dann!¨Das war wie ein Kanonenschuss vor meinen Kopf.
Ich verstummte und erzählte nie wieder meine Abenteuer die ich mit dem Rösslein miterlebt hatte.
So ein blöder Vater! Wir hatten uns schon damals gehasst, und es blieb dabei.

Später las ich dann das Buch "L'Ogre" von Chaques Chessex, auch er ein Opfer seines Vaters.
Ging mir sehr an die Nieren, seine Geschichte.
Dennoch Das Rösslein Hü war nebst den Grimm's Märchen mein erster Kontakt mit Literatur und einer der unvergesslichsten im Guten wie im Schlechten.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1938, this sentimental toy-fantasy follows the story of a little wooden horse (no other name is given), who wants nothing more than to stay with his beloved creator - Uncle Peder the toy-maker. But when Uncle Peder falls on hard times, eventually becoming sick, the little wooden horse finds himself cast out into the wide world, encountering both cruelty and kindness from the people he meets...

Although this book is a bit sentimental for some modern readers (myself included), as Vivian French notes in her foreword to the Kingfisher Modern Classics edition, the episodic structure of the story and the plucky nature of the hero make it a good bedtime selection for the younger set. With the exception of a few outdated ideas about class (compare the portrayal of the "working class" mine horses to that of the "aristocratic" horses who pull the king's carriage), this children's adventure story has weathered the passage of time quite well.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story of a strong quiet little horse, who only wishes to serve his master.
The little wooden horse is a great story for reading aloud to younger kids. It is wonderfully told and also introduces some of the many different jobs a horse could have in a simple easily understood way. The little wooden horse has a very simple view of things and is very humble, which is why I personally love the book so much.

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those stars are from my seven-year-old self. I lived in Germany that year and when we visited London during a school vacation (we had relatives there --- I still do), we always went to Foyle's where my parents stocked up on Puffins. I keep trying to find the edition I had (yellow cover), but boy did I love this book. I'm afraid to read it now, to be honest!

[yoursavagegoodboy Toàn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book which i definitely read for my children, in case i'm rich and have a kid.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A adventurous horse who is abandoned by his creator's (a toymaker) wife. He stumbles into lots of mishaps and finds new friends along the way on his search to find his master again. It has a happy ending. A book that although I have read many times, I still find is fun to read again. It can be read over and over! One of my favorite children's books.

[Petra Be · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story for little children. I wish I had been able to read it as a child. But even as an adult, I find it compelling. Even I wanted to know how the story would go on and I am sure children will love the stories.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first books I ever read on my own and it started my love of literature. Fantastic. Enough said.

[Angela-Gaye Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this many years ago and want to re-read it. I absolutely loved this book, it was my favourite.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic tale I felt uncomfortable with, but appealing characters and adventures for children.

A classic author I've read before, but not a title I knew. I picked it up on a whim. This will have appeal for today's readers who like episodic tales with a slow-burn story of 'all comes right in the end' after many trials.

My discomfort with the book stemmed from the abuse of the little horse, his own downright pigheaded disposition to work himself into the ground for money for his maker (who, really, might not show him the same loyalty!) and the oft-repeated pattern (see Rudyard Kipling's 'If') of losing all his (hard-earned) money and having to begin again. The injustice made me anxious!

The structure is very traditional and reminiscent of other fairy tales, such as Pinocchio. The Little Wooden Horse (never given any other name) is created but for one reason or another finds himself alone in the world and moving ever further away from home, but hopes to return soon having earned a fortune to keep himself and his 'master' living in comfort. Like Black Beauty finding good owners and bad, the Horse meets tyrants and kindhearted humans, works himself to the (wooden) bone, sustains damage, is ill-used and repaired, and travels far and wide seeing the best and worst of mankind as he struggles to find his way home.

It's simply told, which makes me feel that given a fresh jacket and typeface it will appeal to primary-aged readers still. Besides some talk of old money and a few words and scenes that may need a little explanation of their context, it's a good, old-fashioned epic of a children's story.

For ages 7 - 10.

[Michele Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little slow paced hence it took so long to finish + we all four read it versus just Matthew who is easier to do longer chapter books with because he stays up later. Books written in the 30's just have an innocence to them and rich vocabulary. Not sure where I got the rec for this one. There are others, but we have such a long list that we will move on to things we cannot put down!

[Lucy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH

[Janelle]

This book made me feel depressed. I only got up to chapter 6. I’m sure it has a happy ending but I didn’t have any incentive to wait for it.

[Mia Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

My great grandmother wrote this book 🥹
Gorg story. Will read to my future kids 💕

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this still has my original surname inside. The pages are going brown round the edges and some are falling out, but this was a story I read several times to the children I was teaching back in 1975-1977. A wonderful fairy tale full of drama and emotion although I suspect that nowadays it might seem rather sad compared to more modern tales. However, one of my granddaughters loves Blyton's 'The Magic Faraway Tree' so I will buy a new copy of this classic for her to enjoy.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child🎠🥹🩵

[Toby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as a child- I must have read it several times and cried too . I still have the same book and have read it to all my children over the years.It is such a lovely tale of determination,hardworking,courage and love. A book I will treasure. LOVE IT.

[Em]

If this isn't enchanting enough, wait until he meets Gobbolino!

[Sonia Critchlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, my boy loved it. The ending was very sweet

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult, I had to set aside my normal standards for fantasy (why is he animate, why can he talk, why can other toys and animals talk, why does human society consider this normal, how can he be faster/stronger than an actual horse, etc. etc. etc.), and assume that if it were read to me when I was a child, I'd have had no problem with it.

This is rather a harrowing book, more like Black Beautythan Raggedy Ann—this horse suffers, and suffers greatly. He is despondent for much of the book, tortured, or tortures himself. He's often rewarded for his efforts, but these rewards are usually short-lived. It was hard to take in a single sitting (I read it yesterday afternoon while supervising a lengthy kids' homework session).

But I rooted for the little wooden horse. I was invested. The author made me care. So I persisted through to the end (thank goodness, there's a happy ending, no Little Mermaid or Velveteen Rabbit trauma to endure). If I were to read it aloud, I'd do one chapter a night, with frequent reassurings of "don't worry, it'll all work out in the end," to sensitive children.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

[Judith Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had a browse at our local second-hand booksellers yesterday and bought a pile of lovely old Puffins for our eight year old granddaughter, who loves a good story. She is a keen reader, but her Mum and Dad still read stories out loud to her.

I never read this as a child, though I did read the author's 'Gobbolino, the Witch's Cat'. I think my granddaughter will enjoy it. I did!

I hadn't heard of the illustrator, Peggy Fortnum, before, but see from a search that she was the illustrator of Michael Bond's Paddington Bear stories, so she originated that famous bear's image!
There's an interesting obituary of her in the Guardian, available online.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I read books like this, I wonder if someday I will read them to my children. I was immediately drawn to its cover, and couldn’t resist what looked like such a wholesome book. I was in Ireland and it was shelved under the Irish children’s authors, so I figured that was the best place to buy it. Unfortunately, I think I was tricked, as it appears the author was British. Oh well, it was still a nice adventure. Sometimes it had me literally gasping out loud, and other times I would smile or cry. I truly enjoyed this book, although I might have been a little old for it, and I look forward to reading it again someday should I have children to read it to.

[Isabel Scales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's Fiction
Grades 3-6
This is a heartfelt adventure story about a determined little wooden horse who sets out to make his own way in the world. It has a classic, old-fashioned storytelling style that feels warm and a bit nostalgic. The story focuses a lot on perseverance, kindness, and staying hopeful even when things get tough. It’s the kind of book that feels both adventurous and emotional in a simple, meaningful way that younger readers can connect with.

[Donna T · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book riddled with unnecessary questions and there was nothing inspiring in the naff words. I think my child would cry in horror if I attempted to read her this damp squib. This author is no Hemingway. Not even close. The proses and the sentences are long-winded and difficult to digest. It is a big no for me to this book.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud at bedtime to my 5- and 7-year-old children. For the most part, the story captured their imagination but it definitely lagged from time to time. I wish I could have edited the book to make it a little shorter. Overall, the writing was good and the little wooden horse had quite an adventure with many travels and meeting other horses and many different types of people.

[LudmilaM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly miraculous and incredible journey of a brave, kind-hearted and humble little wooden horse, who doesn't even have a name, because the only name that matters is Uncle Peder and the horses' loyalty to him. Simple, yet profound and thought-provoking story. Every sentence fell deeply into my heart.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a huge impact on my eight year old self, back in the early 80's. It was horrendously sad and the book I remember most from childhood. Revisiting the story as an adult enjoyable, the "prodigal son" theme weathers well and teaches profound life lessons. Highly recommended, ideally read first time as a child :)