King of the Wind

Newbery Medal, 1949

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Marguerite Henry

Henry wrote 59 children's stories -- and most of them were based on true stories about horses. Justin Morgan Had a Horse and Misty of Chincoteague were Newbery Honor books.

In the 1940s Henry also wrote the copy for the first & final years of a Picture Geography series published by  Whitman & Company. It's hard to grasp now, but these books would have been the first visual introduction to the countries of the world for many children. Yes, many images we would now consider quite stereotypical, but they are a fascinating historical look at how President Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy stressed mutual understanding through popular books.

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World Context

It's taken a bit of reflection to identify how a book published in 1948 could be relevant for today's child. (Or adult, for that matter.) How different is the world seventy-two years later? Not very different in the areas of life that matter the most.

Empathy. Humility. Compassion. Selflessness. Creativity. Steadfast perseverance. In a world filled with divisiveness these are a few of the character traits needed to understand others - to reach across any differences.  It is worth talking about all the ways Agba exhibits these traits in the face of adversity and brutal racism throughout the story. And to compare those actions to choices we can make today.

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Whenever the horseboys raced their horses beyond the city gates, Sham outran them all. He outran the colts his own age and the seasoned running horses as well. He seemed to not know that he was an earthy creature with four legs, like other horses. He acted as if he were an airy thing, traveling on the wings of the wind.

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Synopsis

The Godolphin Arabian horse, one of three stallions that sired modern Thoroughbred lines, was given to Louis XV of France in 1730; he was moved to England in 1733 and sired many foals for twenty years. Three colts, Lath, Cade, & Regulus, were unexpected winners at the race track which resulted in the Godolphin Arabian as the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland.

Henry's King of the Wind foals Sham in Morocco and sends the colt as a diplomatic gift to King Louis XV. Agba. a mute stable boy, is sent with the horse to care for Sham "as long as that horse shall live." Upon arriving in poor condition, the King's rejection of Sham leads to years of hard labor and abuse before siring his famous colts.

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Learning Connections

Geography

• Morocco
• France
• England

History

• European Enlightenment
• Moroccan Alaouite Dynasty
• Horse Racing

Islam, Ramadan
Slavery
Animal Stewardship

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Ages: 8-12 years; grades: 3rd - 7th; 176 pages. Horse and boy overcome great adversity.