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Home > Categories > Books > Kids - Preschool > Tomboy the Headstrong Horse review
Tomboy the Headstrong Horse recounts the real-life 1866 journey of Caroline and Nicolas Chevalier, who crossed New Zealand's rugged Southern Alps on horseback, accompanied by the spirited and willful horse, Tomboy. While Nicolas documented their travels in his art, Caroline kept a journal.
The story follows Caroline as she navigates treacherous rivers, dense forests, and muddy trails, forming an unbreakable bond with her headstrong horse. Along the way, readers witness the challenges of life in untamed wilderness amidst breath-taking landscapes, hear of Maori legends, and celebrate Caroline's determination and Tomboy's bravery.
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Review by: mizim (Miriam)
Dated: 18th of May, 2025
My kids might have grown out of picture books but I have friends who have kids under the age of five, I still enjoy reading a good picture book and I work in a bookstore (so it is handy to know what I'm selling). I've seen a few picture books before, giving true stories of our own history here in New Zealand and I hope that this continues to happen. Before reading this, I had never heard of Nicholas or Caroline Chevalier and though neither were actually born in New Zealand, their work was important enough that it has long been recognized.
Whilst the book is titled "Tomboy" it didn't really feel like it focused much on Tomboy himself, really the only moment he was headstrong was a moment where he ran off before getting lost and found again. With the title, I expected a bit more of a wild like horse who needed a lot of taming to become a sturdy, reliable horse. The story, as such, focuses more on Caroline and how she found things ie. riding pants under her dress, the struggles her group faced finding somewhere to stay because there was a woman in the group etc. But those are good things to learn about, how much life was different for people back when New Zealand was wild.
I enjoyed the illustrations that were in this, the best part of the book in my opinion. Whilst the blurb, title and contents didn't quite mesh together fully, I am happy to see small, easy to digest, snippets of New Zealand history and hope to see more like this.
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