Kids into books: The Silver Brumby

Author: Elyne Mitchell

Illustrators: Ralph Thomson

Publisher: Harper Collins, $14.95

Age Group: 8-12 years

Bel Bel lifted her head at the sound, and her nostrils dilated. From the shadowy mass between her forefeet came a faint nickering cry and she nuzzled him again. She was very alone with her newborn foal, and far from her own herd, but that was how she had felt it must be.

Perhaps because of her colour, so much more difficult to hide than bay, or brown, black or grey or chestnut, she had always led a hunted life, and when a foal was going to be born she was very nervous and hid herself far away. Of the three foals she had had, this was the only one creamy, like herself.

Bel Bel felt a surge of pride, but the pride was followed by fear. Her son would be hunted as she was and as her own cream mother had been before her - hunted by man, since they were so strange-looking in the wild herds.

And this colt would have another enemy too, every stallion would be doubly against him because of his colour.