What they're saying about Blackie,
The Horse Who Stood Still
"Blackie is a beautiful and touching story, told in rhyme
by Chris Cerf and Paige Peterson. Unforgettable as the tale is,
the artwork by Ms. Peterson is even more so. Long after you've
read the book, you will remember the stunning pictures, illustrating
the events of Blackie's life. This book will be admired and enjoyed
by adults and cherished by children. An instant classic!"
Joan Ganz Cooney
Co-founder of Sesame Workshop
and originator of Sesame Street
 "If
you're the horsey type, try Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson's
inspiring work Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still. If
you loved Ferdinand the Bull, then your kids will love Blackie
as seen by Cerf and Peterson."
Liz Smith
New York Post
"In the season of long trips to Grandma's, new books with
animal appeal are perfect for taming the young folk. Inspired
by a lovably balky horse who was the pride of Tiburon, California,
this sweet picture book depicts stubbornness as a virtue."
Michelle Green
Picks & Pans
People
"For a story about a horse that stands still, Blackie is
wonderfully moving! It's a heartwarming reminder -- to children
and adults alike -- about the preciousness of patience, dependability
and love. Christopher Cerf's wordplay is mischievous and delightful,
and Paige Peterson's paintings are simply breathtaking. I love
this book!"
Marlo Thomas
Actress, Author, Activist
"Oh, Blackie, my hero. You truly can stand put in afast-moving
world and still succeed. Thank you, Paige, for your tender illustrations,
and Chris, for such inspiring words. This tale will be told to
my grandchildren over and over."
Lynn Sherr
ABC News
"Illustrator Paige Peterson and Sesame Street co-creator
Christopher Cerf
have a message for overscheduled children: Slow down. They've
created a
beautiful new book, Blackie, about a real horse who
liked to do...nothing."
Rush & Molloy
New York Daily News
 "If
this one doesn't bring out the Kleenex box, I don't know what
will. Not because it is sad (anyone who has had to remove a sobbing
5-year-old from a screening of Bambi learns to be cautious about
children's books where dogs, horses, or mothers die), but simply
because this true story is very touching."
Sheridan Sansegundo
The East Hampton Star
Reading "Blackie" to their children is reason enough
for couples of all sexes to consider adoption.
William Hamilton
Cartoonist
"A story about a horse who likes to stand still is endearing.
That the tale could bring hundreds of children to their feet
in applause is extraordinary. When they finished reading their
new children's book, Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still,
to 300 elementary school students in California, Christopher
Cerf and Paige Peterson received a standing ovation...The book
also touches on death, a topic not often explored in children's
literature. 'We really didn't set out to do it but when we read
in schools, kids asked so many questions about that, 'how did
he die and will he be remembered?'' said Cerf. 'He had a really
model death in some sense, [and] he had a great life and he will
be remembered forever for doing what he did.'"
Carey London
The Independent
"Standing still never made so much sense.The journey of
a thousand miles ends with one horse who demanded to stand still. I'll
give it a try tomorrow, but I've to run today. Oh, right, I missed
the point.
Stillness is an art cleverly celebrated by Chris and Paige
in this charming tale of determination and tenacity. A lesson
for all."
Thomas Schumacher
Disney Theatrical Productions
"I wish our daughter still nestled in my lap so I could
read her the inspiring story of Blackie, a horse who appeared
lazy but in fact understood why nature is to be savored and change
is sometimes to be resisted. I think I'll read it to her anyway!"
Ken Auletta
Author and journalist
 "This
extraordinary collaboration between two brilliant artists--one
with pictures and one with words--is a pleasure to read on many
levels. It's a beautiful book about a horse, but it's also a
thrilling story about the value of stillness and the wisdom of
animals. In our hurly burly world it's a wonderful thing to take
a moment to absorb Paige Petersen's beautiful paintings and the
sly sage teachings of this wonderful story. We should all stand
still sometimes, and this book shows us how--it should be required
reading for children and adults."
Susan Cheever
Author
"What a stunning sense of composition! I love these paintings!"
Christoph
Niemann
"In the tradition of Ferdinand The Bull, Blackie is a sweetly
unorthodox beast. There is a swell message here, but burrowed
in as it is amongst the gorgeous illustrations and snappy text,
the lesson merely catches a ride on Blackie’s myriad other
charms. My family LOVES this book."
Alexandra Styron
Author
"An enchanting story -- its radiant, bemused wit emerges
into wisdom. The drawings are exquisite; it really is a wonderful
book."
Susanna Moore
Author
"BLACKIE is an equine delight...the story and the illustrations
are witty, deceptively simple, and simply beautiful."
Laurence Luckenbill
Actor
 "This
is not just a book for kids, although they should read it or
have it read to them by anyone who cares about sprawl, overcrowding,
the environment, quality of life, sense of place and conviction.
The team of Chris Cerf and Paige Peterson has created an optimistic
handbook on how to live with change but more importantly how
to guide it.
It's a personal, beautiful book with quirky paintings and charming
text about a goofy horse who has more in common with Gandhi than
Trigger. It's about one special place but applicable to many.
It’s about doing the right thing. What a concept! Buy it,
give it, read it, keep it and read it again. Pass it on."
Ross Anderson
Architect
"Kids will love it!!!"
Lucie Arnaz
Actress
"The paintings are filled with such true joy and spirit...
and, while Blackie's tale touched me like Shel Silverstein's The
Giving Tree, it embodies an even more profound statement
about what should be of ultimate importance in our lives: contentment."
Price Crozer
Imari Gallery
"Oh, how I love this book. And the illustrations make me
almost weepy. I can't wait to buy it for my granddaughter, Lily,
and read it to her for years. Blackie will be for Lily
what Misty of Chincoteague was for me (except Misty wasn't funny
and wacky like Blackie.)"
Joan Jakobson
Author
 "Fabulously
inventive and beautifully illustrated! The writing evokes children's
story classics of the Dr. Seuss genre. Blackie the Horse Who
Stood Still draws from the powerful tradition of real life tales
that are fanciful but true. In a world that hardly ever stands
still, the story appeals to young people's need to learn important
lessons like patience and consistency. And despite its traditional
roots, the lilt and texture of the language and illustrations
are refreshingly modern!"
Michael Levine
Asia Society
"I’ve always been fascinated by the appeal, to children
of both sexes, of captivating movies and books ostensibly about
horses but really about life. Blackie advances the art
in text, illustration and empathy for its title character. Even
though my 'kids' are grown, I have a perfect new gift for my
friend’s kids."
Edward Bleier
Media Executive
 "The
book is very sweet, a nice twist on the cowboy world. One would
never expect a passive equestrian partner. The writing is good
and the images are wonderful. I love the many styles and viewpoints.
There is a primitive freshness and spontaneity to the paintings.
The whole thing is really charming. I think it will find a broad
audience. And it deserves to."
William Matthews
Artist
"Blackie is indeed an inspiration to those young and old.
The lessons Blackie teaches are perhaps the most important yet
quite overlooked: the true sense of self."
Ray Chambers
Philanthropist
"Both the story and the illustrations are enchanting. This
book is a special gift to anyone who reads it. In this hectic
world, through Blackie, Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson have
shown us the value of love, compassion, quietude and the strength
in being oneself."
Anna Strasberg
The Lee Strasberg Institute
 "With
Blackie, Chris Cerf and Paige Peterson have written a beautiful
book that brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. And
make no mistake, while it has the look of a children's book,
its message is right for all ages. I highly recommend Blackie for
young and old alike."
Drew Casertano
Headmaster, Millbrook School
"Beautifully designed, with excellent paintings and spare,
lucid prose, the book is warm & wise, pithy and clear."
Chaitanya Divgi, MD
"A charming children’s book that can teach us all
about the delight of simply standing still."
Eden Collinsworth
Author
"The spirit of BLACKIE is forever summoned through the
magical words of Christopher Cerf and enchanting illustrations
of Paige Peterson."
Mindy Marin
Movie Producer
 "This
charming and sweet tale celebrates the life lived with deliberate
tranquility -- a life that resists the enticements of bustle
and business. Blackie reinforces simple and powerful
values in a book that is deepened and enriched with its marvelous
illustrations. Children of many ages will be drawn to this delightful
story."
Judith Stoia
Television Producer
"What an absolutely charming yet powerful story! The cleaver
rhymes and striking simplicity of the illustrations are in perfect
harmony...hard to imagine what came first as each beautifully
compliments the other. A brilliant little book that elegantly
honors a horse who every reader will empathize with."
Douglas Leeds
President, American Theater Wing
"As an elementary school student over forty years ago,
I read a poem at Blackie’s memorial. Life has brought an
array of experiences since that time—I have studied many
traditions, became a psychologist, written books, and raised
a family. And yet, as I pause to consider what to write for this
wonderful book, I realize that I needed to go no further than
Blackie’s Pasture by the bay to find the most important
formula for a meaningful life: Slow down, be still, know what
is most important, find joy and beauty in the moment. Thank you
Blackie!"
Lee Jampolsky, Ph.D.
"Blackie is such a perfect interweaving of Cerf's warm,
unfussy lyricism and Peterson's simple, elegant, deep-and-wide
paintings - the warm narrative playing lightly against a backdrop
of bold colors and unexpected compositions of ears and eyes,
shoes and sky. A totally charming naivete pervades the sweetness
of the storytelling."
Fred Newman
Actor, "A Prairie Home Companion"
"I can't wait to read this book to my children. It's wonderfully
heart-warming and lyrical, a beautifully rendered and lovingly
told story for those of us not resigned to following the pack!
Bravo!"
Gavin Spanierman
Spanierman Gallery |
