All readers who like exciting, unusual adventure stories will enjoy The Winged Horse Race, but if they like horses they’ll be in heaven, or in this case Mount Olympus as the setting is classical Greece. Orphan Pippa is a (very) lowly stable girl until she is picked out by Aphrodite, one of a number of children chosen to compete in a special horse race. These horses are not just fast and beautiful, they can fly too. The winning horse will become Zeus’s steed, and the winning competitor immortal. As we know from the old stories, the gods are not above cheating when it suits them and with the stakes so high Pippa and Zeph, the little horse she quickly comes to love, will need to be very careful indeed. The setting is cleverly done and makes this story really stand out, while the cast of characters – human, divine, equine – make this a very satisfying story indeed.
The Winged Horse Race is a breathtaking adventure from Kallie George, beautifully illustrated by Lucy Eldridge, with an ancient setting and a thoroughly modern heroine.
Pippa is a foundling working in a stables in ancient Greece, until one day she catches a glimpse of an enormous silver wing in the clouds. When she wakes the next morning on Mount Olympus, Pippa discovers that she has been selected as one of the riders in Zeus's Winged Horse Race. The winner's prize is immortality. Pippa falls instantly in love with her easily-distracted young horse, Zeph and they quickly become a fantastic team, exploring the mountain and meeting the interesting characters who live on Olympus. But as race day approaches, it's difficult for Pippa to know who her real friends are and it's a tough job to outsmart the Gods and their games.
Kallie George works as an author and editor in Vancouver, Canada, and she holds a master's in children's literature from the University of British Columbia. In addition to writing and editing, Kallie is a speaker and leads workshops for aspiring writers. She finds all eggs enchanting, even ordinary ones. She is the author of the Animal Adoption Agency series and The Winged Horse Race is her first book with Macmillan Children's Books.
