Magically Maximus

Horsetail Hollow #1

by Kiki Thorpe

Disney meets Spirit in this adorable illustrated chapter book series by New York Times best-selling author Kiki Thorpe.A simple wish can lead you galloping away on an adventure…When nine-year-old Maddie found out her parents were moving to a farm called Horsetail Hollow, she imagined a beautiful meadow filled with lush gardens, perky pigs, and, of course, lots and lots of horses. Her greatest wish is to have a horse of her own, but they arrive to discover a fixer-upper house, ramshackle barn, and not a horse to be seen.One day while she and her younger sister, Evie, are out exploring their new home, they come across an old stone well. Evie, who is obsessed with fairytales, urges them to make a wish. The next day, a magnificent white horse appears on their farm! Maddie is overjoyed that her wish came true, but Evie reveals that she also made a wish—for a princess to come play with them. Their wishes must have gotten crossed, and they ended up with a princess’s horse! She pulls out her beloved fairytale book and shows this is no ordinary horse, it’s Maximus, Rapunzel’s noble steed.Max isn’t the horse Maddie dreamed of. He won’t stand for having his hair braided and prefers sword fighting with a stick to long rides through the meadows. But the two soon become fast friends, and ultimately Maddie and Evie realize they have to return him to his story—Rapunzel’s happily ever after depends on them!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Animals, Fiction, Horses, Chapter Books

Paperback

About the author

KIKI THORPE has written or adapted over fifty books for children. A former children's book editor, she now writes full time from San Francisco.

Reviews

[ren ౨ৎ (in a tiny slump)]

i’m being completely serious when i say this is the cutest children’s book that i’ve read in a long time. there’s so much whimsy and heart packed into just a small number of pages. you can absolutely bet that i’ll be picking up the rest of the series just as a comfort read.

[Shaina Perkkio]

Listened on audio. My 1st grader gave this 3.5⭐️

[Mandi]

3.5 ⭐️
Read aloud
It was fine, not great.

[Olive]

I am 9 years old, too. I LOVE horses, too.
My sister is 6 years old and she LOVES princesses too.

[Daniele Kasper]

Thorpe has blended the best of magic and horses in an adorable chapter book with cute illustrations for readers just jumping into chapter books. Disney fans will love this one

One wish is all it takes. Maddie moves to Horsetail Hollow, a farm that definitely doesn't live up to her storybook dream expectations. Besides the run down house and barn, the worst part is that there are no horses. But while exploring, she and her sister Evie discover a well. A wishing well. All Maddie wants is a horse of her own, but wishes don't always go as planned.

Wishes come true for Maddie, because the next day a white horse appears. But Evie and The next day, a magnificent white horse appears on their farm! Maddie is overjoyed that her wish came true, but Evie shares she made a wish too. Evie wanted a princess as a friend. Their wishes got tangled up (pun absolutely intended) and they ended up with a princess's horse instead! This horse is no ordinary pony, but Rapunzel's own horse Maximus from the movie Tangled.

Maddie quickly realizes Max isn’t the horse of her fairytale dreams. He is strong and a protector and not at al interested in letting Maddie braid his mane. But the fairytale's happily ever after is at risk if they don't get Maximus back inside his story and Maddie knows she has to give him up. This book was fun, easy to read, filled with horses, and is great for kids who love Disney.

[Damita Perez]

Horsetail Hollow by Kiki Thorpe is absolutely enchanting. When nine-year-old Maddie and her little sister Evie move to a farm called Horsetail Hollow, Maddie dreams of horses and green meadows—but instead finds a run-down house and no horses in sight. That all changes when the sisters discover an old stone well and make a wish. The next morning, a majestic white horse appears… but he’s no ordinary horse—he’s Maximus, Rapunzel’s loyal steed!

I loved how Thorpe blended everyday family life with fairytale magic. Maddie and Evie’s relationship felt so real—their curiosity, little disagreements, and the way they ultimately work together made them easy to root for. Maximus was just as bold and funny as in Tangled, and the mix-up with the sisters’ wishes made for such a clever twist.

This story perfectly captures the wonder of childhood imagination and the power of believing in magic. It’s heartfelt, adventurous, and full of warmth—exactly the kind of story I would have adored as a kid (and still do!). I can’t wait to see what other fairytale adventures await in the Horsetail Hollow series.

[寿理 宮本]

I randomly picked up this book, because, "Hey, horse book. Okay, let's see what this is like."

(inside) PFFFFF



*re-reads cover* "OH OKAY I SEE."

It's a cute story, even if I get reflexively aggravated at the "overeager little sister messing things up" bits... nope, haven't had an obnoxious younger sibling getting in my hair at all... The art is adorable (and had better be, with Disney branding)! I do feel like, okay, book ONE? So how many horses are they going to be wishing into existence without their parents getting SOMEWHAT suspicious?

Recommended for Disney fans who are also horse fans, because this is definitely in their wheelhouse!

[Liz]

Maddie, Evie, and their parents just moved to a farm, but there are no horses. While wandering around, they find an old wishing well, but the well doesn't work anymore. They make a wish anyway, but nothing happens until the next day a horse appears. It's not just any horse, its name tag reads Maximus, and Evie recognizes it from the Rapunzel story they read yesterday. The girls are so excited until they notice that the Rapunzel story is fading from the book after Maximus is supposed to make his first appearance. Can they fix it? Kinda similar to the Happily Ever After Rescue Team series, but this one is definitely for younger readers and closely follows Disney's Tangled, which appeals to younger Disney fans. Not an amazing story, but it has its built-in audience.

[Alina]

Sooo cuteee I love the concept so much as someone who loves princesses and horses!

I'm not gonna be too picky about a kids book but the fact that they entered the story and somewhat messed with it, before Eugene climbed into the tower, kinda made no sense. I think it would've been cuter if they wished Max back at the end of the story then they could have all hung out together for a minute before they had to go back home. I did like how they got to visit the story AND have a bit of the story visit them though. And the plot that did happen prove Max as a hero and I loved how stubborn and funny he was throughout the book.

[Carolyn Feltus-atkinson]

This story of 2 sisters who find a wishing well and have a magical fairy-tale-comes-real experience is a winner. I was looking for an entry level chapter book to read to my 4 y/o granddaughter and this might be it. The only problem is that it is based on a fairy tale and we don’t really read fairy tales to kids much anymore. They are so dark! This one is Rapunzel , kidnapped and trapped in a tower. It made me rethink the whole thing - maybe kids need to hear scary stories that end well to help them make sense of the world. I’ll have to ponder that.

[Bekka]

This is going to be such a cute series. I can’t wait to read about how Maddie and my Evie interact with all of the famous Disney horses.

In this first installment, Maddie wishes for nothing more in life than a horse of her own. One day, Maximus, the Royal Guard Horse from Tangled is magically transported to her family’s farm! An adventure ensues and the girls are pulled into a world of magic.

This would be perfect for early elementary Princess fans!

[Aurora Knight]

I really love the premise of the first book of the series. There are times when it does get funny especially when Maddie thought at first Maximus was being a bad horse. She nudged with her heels at one point, and he just stood there knowing he doesn’t take commands, but rather gives them. It has a good message. It’s more than just a read for girls, I feel it’s a read for readers of all ages, even the kid at heart.

[Union County Library]

Magically Maximus by Kiki Thorpe follows two sisters who discover a magic well that brings to life their favorite storybook characters and their wonderful horse sidekicks. This is a fun series filled with sisterhood, magic, horses, and everyone's favorite Disney characters! If readers enjoy the first book, they'll love the rest of the Horsetail Hollow series; each book follows a different fairytale. The target audience is grades 2-4, ages 8-12.

- Reviewed by Taylor B.

[Rebecca]

Being a huge Tangled fan I decided to pick up this kids chapter book. I found it absolutely charming and I wish I'd had a book about Disney horse adventures when I was a kid.
This is a really good easy to read chapter book for kids who are getting used to that. I will probably give this to my niece who also loves horses.

[Jeani]

Cute premise. My 6 year old daughter was not into it so we abandoned it halfway through. (For perspective, she also did not jump for joy at reading Charlotte's Web or My Father's Dragon, so this book is in good company.)

[Kat Ice]

Such a cute kids book!! I can’t wait to see where they go from here! Love the artwork, the characters, the magic… I love it all!!

[Stef]

The kids & I thoroughtly enjoyed this book!

[Michael Fierce]

I know I know, it's a children's book! For 5 - 8 year olds! But! I'm a huge fan of Tangled and I just have to have this. Laugh all you want, I of horse don't care what y'all think! 🦄

[Sara]

It took us a while to get through this only because of life circumstances. I liked it more than she did.

Eliana’s review: “I only liked the little girl. That’s the only thing I liked.”

[Danielle]

My daughter enjoyed one of the character’s names being Evie as that’s her nickname. The plot was predictable and unoriginal.

[Nikki]

Super cute story that I enjoyed myself as well as my kids loved it so much <3

[Beth Kaminske]

Good little chapter book for beginner readers.

[Alison]

Not bad for the genre, but not great either.

[BookWorm]

little bit of sibling bickering, but not horrible

lots of magic, wishing well brings a horse into the girls world then they have to take it back to fairy tale world

[Michelle]

Appropriate for: all ages!

My 8 year old daughter liked this book a lot. I liked it, I just wish it had more pictures for her.

[Matt]

Cute. Sort of a riff on the Disney Twisted Tale “what if” novels, but for a younger crowd.

[Laura Boulton]

It was ok, but my 5 year old daughter who is obsessed with horses LOVED it and we are moving right along to book 2!

[Rebecca Bond]

The girls really enjoyed this series. They are sweet books but probably best enjoyed by kids with familiarity with the movies they reference.

[Nicole Miller]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Maddie has always wanted a horse. Her sister Evie has always wanted to be in a fairytale. When they make their wishes in a magical wishing well, Maximus appears! After a few bumpy starts, life with Maximus seems perfect until they notice that their Rapunzel fairytale book is changing without its famous horse. The sisters have to work together to find a way to get Maximus back before the characters lose their happy ending. A cute first book in a new early reader series.

[Lindsey O]

My boys give it 5 stars, I'd say 3; so we'll split the difference and give 4.