Reviews

The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn't by Artie Bennett, Dave Szalay

katsmiao's review against another edition

5.0

I love this book. It’s probably the only book that made me smile and feel all lovey inside for the whole time reading it.
Ok, so it’s not a very long book, but those were 4 really special minutes. I love that it’s a true story, a real life-is-stranger-than-fiction story. I could see myself reading this over and over to kids (if I had any), or setting it on the coffee table and smile every time I look at it.
Zippy Chippy embodies being true to yourself, walking your own path, and having the confidence to ignore all opinions about you by others. I ask myself: “It worked out well for Zippy, so why wouldn’t it for me? Just gotta ride it out and get the last laugh in the end.”
And there’s that smile and lovey, happy feeling inside me again.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher, for giving me this free advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. You gave me a digital text file, and I received a wonderful and valuable soul gift.

gigiinzim's review against another edition

5.0

This is a great picture book. The story is engaging, you keep hoping that Zippy will win a race. The illustrations are beautiful and the character is likable.

This is one for any child's bookshelf, classroom and library. What a wonderful way to illustrate the fact that our value doesn't change when we lose.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily read this book for review, giving my honest personal opinions and thoughts

libraryrobin's review against another edition

4.0

The tale of a cantankerous racehorse that never won a race. And it wasn't for lack of trying, he lost 100 races in his career. Nevertheless, he became a cult favorite.
Light-hearted and positive, this story is sure to be a favorite among kids (and adults) who love to root for the underdog. Filled with bright illustrations and lots of spirit, readers that love horses will enjoy learning about this "horse of a different color".

nerfherder86's review against another edition

5.0

Because I'm familiar with the story of this real-life racehorse, I was interested in seeing what this book was like. I am very pleased with the results--it's an adorably charming picture book version of Zippy's life as a "lovable loser," never winning any of his 100 races (coming in 2nd or 3rd a few times though), but just happy to be on the track. I loved the artwork, it fit perfectly with the humorous tone of the text, being kind of cartoony but also kind of realistic (the horses really look like horses, that sort of thing). We learn that Zippy often just stood still in the starting gate when the race started, or took his time galloping around leisurely; he has a huge sweet tooth for cakes and baked goods; he played hide and seek with the young daughter of his trainer; and his owner tried to retire him after he'd run 80 races but Zippy got depressed and refused to eat, until he was back on the track again! And he built up a huge fan following who always cheered him on and bet him to win, no matter what. Now he's 29 and lives happily at the New York branch of the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm. This is a cute story for kids about being an underdog and that's okay, as long as you love what you do. And the illustrator is local to my area, so that was a cool thing to learn; I got to meet him and have him sign my copy.

kaciereads's review against another edition

4.0

I read The True Story of Zippy Chippy to my 6-year-old daughter, and she was delighted at Zippy's story. Zippy was one of the best horses at losing -- so much that he gained fans for it.

The story will work best as a read-aloud or partner read, as some of the vocabulary and sentence structures might be challenging for newer readers. The illustrations were cute.

Readers who enjoy non-fiction with humorous animal characters might enjoy reading about Chippy.

The extensive author's note at the end reveals some info that I wish was included in the main story, such as how Zippy did sometimes race and even place.

Thanks to Netgalley and North South Books for my digital copy in exchange for a review.

carly_the_librarian's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Very cute story about the importance of enjoyable hobbies - even if you aren't necessarily the best at them. A great lesson for both children and adults :)

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

5.0

Zippy Chippy is a horse that comes from amazing racing stock, with many highly acclaimed racehorses in his family tree. But Zippy is a little different from these legends; Zippy never wins. Sometimes he doesn't even move when the starting bell rings. His owner tries many things to help Zippy, but he never improves. When the owner tries to retire him, Zippy becomes sad, so the owner decides he must return him to the track. And as time goes by, an odd thing happens: people grow to love Zippy, despite his terrible racing record.

This is a wonderful story of a racehorse that never won, but was loved and adored anyway. The charm of Zippy comes through on every page. Kids will love to read this true story of a horse who did what he loved even though he never won a race.