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The No More Night Mares: A Dream of Freedom
Dawn Van Zant
Wild Heart Ranch Books
ISBN: 0-9761768-1-5
Children’s Literature

With this book, Wild Heart Ranch Books brings children another lovely, melancholic story about horses and their quest for freedom.

In this story the author draws a connection between the Pegasus Constellation and the time long ago when “the land was filled with wild horses thundering across vast plains.”

It is the story of a noble, wild stallion named Eclipse, and his struggle to protect his herd from hunters. It is also a story of friendship. It is with the help of an enemy stallion named Golden Earth that Eclipse is able to save his herd from a wild chase. Besides Golden Earth, the earth and the moon also help in their own magical way, as these are the “Spirits of Freedom.” The author uses myth, fantasy and even a bit of magical realism to add depth to the story.

Unlike I Sea Horses, a title with a similar theme by the same publisher which is aimed at younger children, The No More Night Mares has fewer illustrations and longer, more complex text. The illustrations, though, are photo-like and rich with detail, making the beauty and strength of these animals come alive across the pages.

This is a nice book for parents to read to children who love horses, or for those who wish for their children to understand the meaning of freedom and the harm that man has unwillingly done against these intelligent, magnificent creatures.