Assault, the Crippled Champion
Texas Library Journal:
“A colt at the King Ranch in Texas suffered a serious hoof injury, but his owner never lost confidence in this thoroughbred who went on to win the Triple Crown in l946, as well as many other races during his career. Dubbed by reporters “the Club-footed Comet” and the “Texas Terror,” the horse was given every opportunity to succeed because of the great care he received. An anthropomorphic Assault tells his story with all the thoughts, emotions and fears of a human. When he hurts his foot, he wishes that his mother were there. He comments about how pleased he is that his owner, Mr. Bob, still believes in him. He describes the experience of riding on a train. He talks about his rejection by the other colts because he limps. Full-page, black-and-white line drawings complement the text. The story of this forgotten champion is easy and entertaining; readers will enjoy finding out about this underdog with the big heart. (Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA)
Texas and Southwest Book Reviews:
This young readers’ book tells the inspiring tale of a hobbled thoroughbred named Assault “who ran on three hooves and a heart” to win horse racing’s coveted Triple Crown in 1946. Dubbed “the Club-footed Comet” by the press, Assault represented South Texas’ famous King Ranch. Ms. Parker’s third book for young readers includes some brief history of that famous spread. This work is enhanced by excellent illustrations from Austin artist (the late) Charles Shaw.
Young HORSEMAN Buckaroo Reviews:
“This book is very good for kids. It’s really easy to understand, because the author doesn’t use huge words and racing terms that kids might not understand. The author also does a great job of defining racing terms. The pictures in this book are really good, too. They show a lot of what happens throughout the book.
“I loved this book, because I love horse racing. It helped me understand a lot of things about the sport. My favorite part of this book is when Assault wins the last race of the Triple Crown. My least favorite part is when he cuts his foot really badly and nobody thinks he’ll ever be raced. I think the message of the story is to never give up and try as hard as you can to accomplish your dreams. I recommended this book to all my friends, because they all love horses as much as I do, and they’re excited to read it, too.” Mesa Pate, 13, Montana