BOZEMAN, Mont., Oct. 21, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A little girl's love for her father's broken down rocking horse inspires her grandfather to rebuild the horse for her. As she struggles with a genetic disease, she rides Horse only once but that one time was more than enough. Author Jerrold E. Johnson shares a heartwarming tale of love, loss, and healing in a charming, fantasy picture book, Horse and the Little Girl.
Horse and the Little Girl tells the story of a little girl who discovers a dilapidated rocking horse at her grandparent's home that had belonged to her father when he was a little boy. Enchanted with the horse, she names it Horse and rides him every time she visits. Her love for the horse moves her grandfather to rebuild the horse. Because of her increasing weakness, she is only able to ride Horse one more time before she dies. Though her family is devastated by her death, she leaves behind a legacy of love that will live on as she does in the memories of her loved ones. They do this by giving Horse to her baby brother who was born the day before her death, instead of putting it aside as a memorial. The girl's love gave Horse a new heart, large enough for both children.
Poignant with vibrantly colorful illustrations, Horse and the Little Girl is a captivating children's picture book that teaches a valuable life lesson on love, loss, hope, and sharing. It teaches us that God is not vindictive, but a loving God who is the first to cry and offer solace when someone dies. Life is a gift and death is a part of the given. No matter how short the gift of life may be, it is still worth the pain and the loss. To get a copy of this beautifully moving story, just visit you local book retailer or online at Xlibris.com.
About the Author
Jerry Johnson is a retired family medical doctor who resides in Bozeman, MT with his wife Margaret. Early in his career he began teaching about death and dying. In the late 1970s he helped start a Hospice program in the Flathead Valley in Montana. In 1993 they lost their granddaughter Katie, age two, from Monochromatic leukodystrophy. He wrote this book as part of his grief and healing. Jerry volunteers part time as a physician at the Gallatin Community Clinic for people with little or no health insurance. He also is active in mental health. He writes essays and poetry for two churches, does art, and dabbles in violin as well as golf and skiing.
Horse and the Little Girl * by Jerrold E. Johnson
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
Trade Paperback; $14.99; 32 pages; 978-1-4257-3136-6
Cloth Hardback; $20.99; 32 pages; 978-1-4257-3137-3
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7876.
For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.