This book for young readers is wonderfully illustrated on every page. SURFER DUDE: THE LEGENDARY STALLION OF CHINCOTEAGUE seems to have been a horse well worth celebrating. We see his early life on Assateague Island and how he was marked out as being a good foal to keep to improve the breed. The exciting life includes annual roundups by the Chincoteague managers of the wildlife refuge, from which the extra young ponies are sold. Surfer Dude, a handsome chestnut with one blue eye, grew strong, built up a herd of mares and looked after his foals. We see the natural cycle of life.

I love that as much as anything this book is about the other wildlife which shares the saltgrass island. Almost every page has a bird, deer or other animal sharing the illustration. We see that tourism and pony sales help to pay to manage the land for all the wildlife, not just ponies. Look out for shore birds, a squirrel - very hard to spot! - and two kinds of deer as well as a bald eagle. At the end the actual facts of Surfer Dude's life are recounted and all the nature observed is listed so you can put a name to each one.

Parents and teachers will love this book SURFER DUDE by Lois K Szymanski to promote reading and nature observation. Horse lovers will just want it for the beautiful art by Linda Kantjas. Enjoy! You may also be interested in a recent work of photography, 'Natural Wonders Of Assateague' by Mark Hendricks.

Book Summary

Destined for fame, Surfer Dude is known to many who looked for this colt while crossing the bridge to Assateague Island and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The story of this beloved wild stallion, who cared for his herd of mares over a lifetime on Chincoteague Island, is beautifully illustrated in vivid detail, from his distinctive blue eye to his white star and stripe, silver mane and tail, and chocolatey chestnut coat. His passing at the ripe age of twenty-three in the spring of 2015 touched people from across the United States and beyond. But the spirit of his gentle nature and the way he loved his foals lives on. His spirit lingers in breezes that ruffle the island grasses and in the sunbeams that warm the island ponies, and is celebrated in this story of love and the circle of life.