The Horse Dreamer (HB)

By Author / Illustrator

Holly Surplice

Genre

Bereavement

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781915947758

Format

Hardback

Published

09-10-2025

Synopsis

The perfect Christmas gift for readers aged nine and up. 'Tender and poignant, with dynamic blue-and-white illustrations, it's a gorgeous, hopeful story for 9+.' The Guardian.

The horse arrives in the storm, when Merryn needs him most, following the loss of her father. Sorrel is a dreamlike creature, seemingly made from the woods and the sea. Perhaps she wished him into existence. He becomes her friend and confidant. Throughout the summer and autumn, they ride and play, but as Christmas approaches, it will require all of Merryn's new-found strength to help her mum and her sisters heal, too.

A perfect Christmas gift for readers aged nine and up; all the makings of a modern classic. Stunningly presented: a fully illustrated, beautiful jacketed hardback with blue ink interior printing.

Explores themes of grief, family and healing in an accessible way for young readers. For readers of Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, or Jackie Morris and Robert MacFarlane's The Lost Words and The Lost Spells

Reviews

Jacqueline

Merryn lives in the Outer Hebrides and her family is falling apart. Since the death of her father, her mother suffers from depression and the oldest sister, 14-year-old Lowen, is caring for the family. After a storm, Merryn meets a horse, wild and dreamlike, made from wood and sea. She calls him Sorrel and they spend the summer and autumn together, enjoying the outdoors. Then things at home go from bad to worse and Merryn will need every ounce of courage if she is to bring the family back from the brink.

The Horse Dreamer is a beautiful book, highly illustrated by the author. It is infused with the soft blue of the sea and the horse gallops across the pages, completely wild and fantastic. The story itself is both gentle and sad - readers need to be aware that it contains parent death, depression and bullying.

Despite the rather grim centre, it is a hopeful story, that people do heal with time, though nothing can be the same as it was. The magic is how real the horse remains, even though Merryn knows it is impossible - put there specifically to help, made from the magic of the land she is trying to protect.

I was incredibly lucky as I was sent a print of Sorrel with my copy of the book and it is the beautiful illustrations that make this a really gorgeous book. You can see the pleasure Holly Surplice takes in drawing and how the simple lines come alive and bring the story alive, too. I dithered about the suitable age range for this book and I would actually put it at 10 years plus due to some of the difficult themes.

192 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher