Quincy Finds A New Home

The Quincy the Horse Books, for K- 4, are a wonderful series for children who love animals and want to learn more about them. Quincy Finds A New Home is the first book of the series that introduces a red horse named Quincy. This is a story about the importance of friendship as one makes one’s way in the world. Quincy's life is turned upside down when he gets a new owner and is taken to a new home, the biggest barn he has ever seen. Quincy has a problem. There are horse shows every Sunday and he does not know how to jump and win ribbons. When he makes a new friend, an old horse named Beau, he finally confides his secret. Together he and Beau find an unexpected answer to the problem. This engaging, comforting story is a debut for New Mexico author/illustrator team, Camille Matthews and Michelle Black that shows a knowledge and love of horses and attention to details of horse life that instill the books with authenticity. Author Camille Matthews encourages young readers to get to know Quincy on a personal level by exploring his attempts to sort out the world around him in more depth than might be usual in a children’s picture book. She does this through an exploration of the whole range of his feelings, concerns and observations, as he tries to make sense of the changes and challenges he is experiencing, and by permitting him to take a chance and trust his new friend, Beau. In keeping with the theme of in depth experience, Black’s artistic style is realistic but at the same time rich with color and detail. Her illustrations fulfill the concept of the picture book as a child’s first experience of art. She successfully alternates soothing still life images, sensitive depictions of Quincy’s emotions, and dramatic paintings of action. If there is one aspect of the Quincy the Horse Series that makes it worth a look, it is the vibrant artwork of the illustrations. Winner of a Mom's Choice Gold and Pinnacle Achievement Award in 2010.

The Quincy the Horse Books, for K- 4, are a wonderful series for children who love animals and want to learn more about them. Quincy Finds A New Home is the first book of the series that introduces a red horse named Quincy. This is a story about the importance of friendship as one makes one’s way in the world. Quincy's life is turned upside down when he gets a new owner and is taken to a new home, the biggest barn he has ever seen. Quincy has a problem. There are horse shows every Sunday and he does not know how to jump and win ribbons. When he makes a new friend, an old horse named Beau, he finally confides his secret. Together he and Beau find an unexpected answer to the problem. This engaging, comforting story is a debut for New Mexico author/illustrator team, Camille Matthews and Michelle Black that shows a knowledge and love of horses and attention to details of horse life that instill the books with authenticity. Author Camille Matthews encourages young readers to get to know Quincy on a personal level by exploring his attempts to sort out the world around him in more depth than might be usual in a children’s picture book. She does this through an exploration of the whole range of his feelings, concerns and observations, as he tries to make sense of the changes and challenges he is experiencing, and by permitting him to take a chance and trust his new friend, Beau. In keeping with the theme of in depth experience, Black’s artistic style is realistic but at the same time rich with color and detail. Her illustrations fulfill the concept of the picture book as a child’s first experience of art. She successfully alternates soothing still life images, sensitive depictions of Quincy’s emotions, and dramatic paintings of action. If there is one aspect of the Quincy the Horse Series that makes it worth a look, it is the vibrant artwork of the illustrations. Winner of a Mom's Choice Gold and Pinnacle Achievement Award in 2010.

Camille Matthews is the author of the Quincy the Horse Books for children ages 5-10. Her first book, Quincy Finds A New Home, was published in 2009. The sequel, Quincy Moves to the Desert, was released in August 2011. The series will include Quincy and Buck, to be released later in 2012, and Quincy and His Brothers in 2013. Matthews was born in Lexington, Kentucky, an area known for its horse farms. She loved to read and treasured her horse stories as a child. She was an only child and loved to visit her grandparents and cousins. Matthews is a licensed clinical social worker. She lived in Upstate New York for many years and in New Mexico from 1998 to 2010. She relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania in 2010. She tours the many equestrian venues of the Mid Atlantic region with the Quincy the Horse Books. According to Matthews many important things that she has learned have come through experiences with her horses. The Quincy the Horse Books were inspired by events in the life of her horse, Quincy. She believes that most children have empathy for animals and will identify with Quincy and his adventures because they parallel everyday challenges faced by children. In addition to her work as a psychotherapist, Matthews is a trail rider and is active in equine rescue. She is certified in the relatively new field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and, along with the real Quincy, now a 20 year-old American Quarter horse, provides Equine Assisted Growth and Learning programs for children and families.