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Mr. Horse
Clip-Clop
Every child adores getting twirled and tossed by Mommy and Daddy. Again! Again, they squeal. That’s the rapturous joy Nicola Smee captures, in simple rhythmic text and charming pictures. One after the other, a group of barnyard friends climb aboard Mr. Horse for a ride. Faster, they beg�, faster! But will faster lead to disaster? No�--just a satisfying ending that toddlers will love!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
February 13, 2025
Took my son to library baby playtime at our local library today and I was pleasantly pleased with this cute and energetic book being the read of the day. In simple and dramatic sentences it both teach counting, safe play and values of friendship while also just being a goofy tale about barnyard pals.
June 9, 2018
Here's a cute story for really little ones. The reading level falls somewhere between and Elephant and Piggie. It doesn't quite have the charm of either, but it's still a good fun with farm animals.
Protip: If you don't bounce a child on your knee for the "Clippity clop" parts, then you're doing it wrong.
Protip: If you don't bounce a child on your knee for the "Clippity clop" parts, then you're doing it wrong.
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July 17, 2017A gaggle of different animals ride a horse together with no respect for species boundaries or traditional behaviours. Really, gay marriage and a female Doctor were always going to lead to this sort of thing - this is the future that liberals want, &c.
March 5, 2019
Very, very cute. I think it could work for both toddler and preschool. It's right on the line there. The illustrations are simple yet explanatory. (I think the animals are cute, too.) And the story is not complicated, but still keeps you in the flow and wondering what will happen. Some great possibilities with sounds and actions, too.
5/11/10 & 5/13/10 A perfect toddler book. We made animal noises with each new animal. And then we "rode" our horses as Mr. Horse got faster. I think I had a bit too much fun reading this aloud! :-) It's a great book when the parents get involved with the children.
3/17/11 I don't think I read this as well in the first group. They liked it, but they didn't seem as excited at the end as I've seen them. But the 2nd group, not only did I do better at reading, but those kids got so involved! Some were galloping around the room and completely missed the animals flying off. But those still sitting got it. And I think they all enjoyed it.
9/14/16 & 9/15/16 Used in kitty theme (because there is a cat!). Had the kids clap hands on laps to get the clippity cloppity sound. That seemed to work well. Especially the faster, faster. Went very well.
Feb 2019 I know I've read this to SD and SS before. Got the board book from the library to read to V. Always fun.
5/11/10 & 5/13/10 A perfect toddler book. We made animal noises with each new animal. And then we "rode" our horses as Mr. Horse got faster. I think I had a bit too much fun reading this aloud! :-) It's a great book when the parents get involved with the children.
3/17/11 I don't think I read this as well in the first group. They liked it, but they didn't seem as excited at the end as I've seen them. But the 2nd group, not only did I do better at reading, but those kids got so involved! Some were galloping around the room and completely missed the animals flying off. But those still sitting got it. And I think they all enjoyed it.
9/14/16 & 9/15/16 Used in kitty theme (because there is a cat!). Had the kids clap hands on laps to get the clippity cloppity sound. That seemed to work well. Especially the faster, faster. Went very well.
Feb 2019 I know I've read this to SD and SS before. Got the board book from the library to read to V. Always fun.
January 24, 2019
Really cute story with fun illustrations! The kids in storytime loved it.
October 23, 2019
Cute book with noises I can get kids to say aloud while I’m reading.
December 2, 2019
I liked that I could make fun noises. It's cute.
January 19, 2011
I love using this for baby storytime because it allows for tons of bouncing, interactive fun! First Cat, then Dog, then Pig and finally Duck petition Mr. Horse for a ride. Faster and faster the friends all go before they fall off into a soft pile of hay (a perfect time for tossing a child on a bed at home!). Mr. Horse worriedly checks on the friends only to hear a mighty chorus of "Again!"
Very simple illustrations with tons of white space make this suitable for the very young (18 months easily, probably even younger), but also for beginning readers. The animals have thick black outlines filled with gentle washes of watercolor and are drawn in a style not that far from how children would attempt them (my horses at least always looked similar to Smee's, if not as well-proportioned). The text will also appeal to toddlers with the inclusion of lots of repetition and some fun onomatopoeia in the "clippity-clop" refrain that runs throughout. Due to the punctuation (dialogue can be confusing for pre-emergent readers), I'd recommend this for emergent beginning readers and maybe some of those who have just made it to early fluency, but the copious white space and large text size provide plenty of rest for eyes just learning to locate text.
This is really an excellent choice all around. Love it.
Used for Down on the Farm baby storytime August 2008.
Used for Farm Fun baby storytime January 2011.
Very simple illustrations with tons of white space make this suitable for the very young (18 months easily, probably even younger), but also for beginning readers. The animals have thick black outlines filled with gentle washes of watercolor and are drawn in a style not that far from how children would attempt them (my horses at least always looked similar to Smee's, if not as well-proportioned). The text will also appeal to toddlers with the inclusion of lots of repetition and some fun onomatopoeia in the "clippity-clop" refrain that runs throughout. Due to the punctuation (dialogue can be confusing for pre-emergent readers), I'd recommend this for emergent beginning readers and maybe some of those who have just made it to early fluency, but the copious white space and large text size provide plenty of rest for eyes just learning to locate text.
This is really an excellent choice all around. Love it.
Used for Down on the Farm baby storytime August 2008.
Used for Farm Fun baby storytime January 2011.
January 31, 2014
I've said it in another review, but I have definitely been rating picture books much higher than I would have done before I was actually working with children. There are a also a lot of things that I appreciate now that I wouldn't have noticed before. In the case of , I appreciate the: repetition, large text, and simple art. I've already read , which is the Christmas/winter version of , essentially, and it's pretty similar. "Cat and Dog and Pig and Duck" (which the children started to chant towards the end) are riding Horse until he goes faster and faster and has to stop, throwing off the other animals. Surprisingly, they enjoy it, shouting, "Again! Again!" What I particularly liked about this was that we did a fingerplay/action rhyme, "10 Little Horses," which at the end includes the line "Then Whoa! (do a 'pulling the reins' motion) They all slowed down (put your hands in your lap)." So that was a very nice tie-in.
Ages 2-6
Ages 2-6
July 17, 2014
Amazing book. My library only has the board book which is quite tiny; our regular copy got junked up and discarded and I can't re-buy it in standard hardcover. But what a fun book! The kids adored it and I did too. (3-6-14)
Since my first review I actually bought the hardcover used from Amazon and donated it to my library, where it now lives in the J Office collection. I've read this book at least 6 times now, maybe 7 or 8, and in three different formats: the tiny board book, the full size hardcover, and a stick puppet I made by photocopying and cutting out the pictures. My favorite is the puppet - it's so fun to throw all the animals when they go flying into the haystack! My storytime students are starting to really know this book - when they see it propped up in the front of the room, they shout "clip clop!" at it. It warms my heart since this really is a fun book with a lot of solid content: animal recognition, manners, phonological awareness, motor skills, and a lot more. (7-17-14)
Since my first review I actually bought the hardcover used from Amazon and donated it to my library, where it now lives in the J Office collection. I've read this book at least 6 times now, maybe 7 or 8, and in three different formats: the tiny board book, the full size hardcover, and a stick puppet I made by photocopying and cutting out the pictures. My favorite is the puppet - it's so fun to throw all the animals when they go flying into the haystack! My storytime students are starting to really know this book - when they see it propped up in the front of the room, they shout "clip clop!" at it. It warms my heart since this really is a fun book with a lot of solid content: animal recognition, manners, phonological awareness, motor skills, and a lot more. (7-17-14)
October 4, 2012
This book follows a group of barnyard friends as they embark on an exciting ride on Mr. Horse. Nicola Smee depicts a thorough sense of joy throughout the book as they beg “faster and faster� in clear, understandable rhythmic text and captivating pictures. Children aged 3-5 will love this book due to its stimulating feel and energetic rush. It encourages playful engagement and can develop the sounds of language to independently reading phrase by phrase. This is suitable for guided reading in the classroom which can provide powerful social support for children. They can be given the opportunity to play with sounds which will allow their decoding to be error-free. This joyful, light and brain-friendly way of developing the foundations of language will go very far in terms of learning and enjoyment.
January 6, 2017
Mr. Horse asks "Who wants a ride?" and he gets an enthusiastic response from Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck. Soft, large illustrations and a gentle repetitive text makes this a perfect picture book for a preschool story time. Pair this with Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham.
June 24, 2014
The typography is atrocious. 22mo loves the part where they all fall plip plop into a haystack. Sigh. It's short, anyway.
December 14, 2018
Perfect for an interactive storytime. :)
June 11, 2018
It is a silly little children's book, but most children will recognize both going to fast, falling down, and somehow wanting to do it again.
May 18, 2019
Deze vind ik heel leuk, vooral als mamma 'Plof! Plof! Plofferde... plof!' en 'O, grutjes, o, grutjes, o, grote, grote grutjes!' voorleest.
January 13, 2025
Mr Horse gives his friends a ride!
A classic for a reason. This book is funny as fuck. I'm a sucker for pen and ink. The facial/body expressions of the animals are so so good. Especially pig. Such an excellent picture book because it works with the medium in that the necessary breaks the reader takes while turning the pages build suspense/the reveal when the page is turned break the tension. I think this works especially well paired with the rhythm of galloping Mr Horse. Maybe a good contender for a 2nd story time story? Could definitely be paired with egg shakers or maybe even just "clop your hooves on the floor! Can everyone clop with me?"
Clip Clop also so effectively reflects the reader's experience back to them (rather than moralizing or condescending or attempting to deliver a message that's good and important but not necessarily developmentally appropriate as I find much therapy speakified kidlit of the past 5 or so years does)
A classic for a reason. This book is funny as fuck. I'm a sucker for pen and ink. The facial/body expressions of the animals are so so good. Especially pig. Such an excellent picture book because it works with the medium in that the necessary breaks the reader takes while turning the pages build suspense/the reveal when the page is turned break the tension. I think this works especially well paired with the rhythm of galloping Mr Horse. Maybe a good contender for a 2nd story time story? Could definitely be paired with egg shakers or maybe even just "clop your hooves on the floor! Can everyone clop with me?"
Clip Clop also so effectively reflects the reader's experience back to them (rather than moralizing or condescending or attempting to deliver a message that's good and important but not necessarily developmentally appropriate as I find much therapy speakified kidlit of the past 5 or so years does)
July 31, 2018
A bunch of farm animals beg for a ride on Mr. Horse, first the cat, then the dog....You can imagine how cute the drawings are, with various animals enjoying a ride on Mr. Horse's back, until Mr. Horse starts going faster and faster and faster. Good thing there's a bunch of hay and a soft landing. Satisfyingly thick lines and gentle colors on white background, and large, easy to read print. The clear drawings, the progressive repetition building to a climax, and the rhythmic language --"clip-clop, clippity-clop"-- will appeal to the younger set in storytime. (1986, Nicola Smee, author of over 100 books--this book voted one of the “Top 50 picture books of the past 25 years� by The Huffington Post. ) - Pleasanton Public Library
April 28, 2020
Like Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose, only...better? Can it be? Mr Horse allows the Cat, the Dog, the Duck and the Pig for a ride around the farm, until Horse screeches to a halt and his heavy burden lands in a heap upon a haystack. Now it could've ended with the horse breathing relief and trotting off leaving his farm buddies laying there. But no! The farm buds jump up and eagerly shriek "Again! Again!" And this, I feel, is a better put message than Seuss, all due respect, ever put in Thidwick. But I Ieave the choice to you, to read this book and decide for yourself which is a better ride: the moose, or the horse!
Four stars
Nicole Smee is the horse girl for me!
Four stars
Nicole Smee is the horse girl for me!
April 29, 2020
This book is geared towards toddlers to pre-k age students. It is a very interactive story with cute animals for children to follow along with and work on their motor skills. Very easy to read, yet opens an opportunity for a teacher to have an interactive experience or someone in charge of a family read-aloud. Children also learn about sound words and different animals. would recommend for any small child.
August 3, 2018
A friendly horse and some friends go on a trot around the countryside. This book is great for little ones as they learn the give and take necessary for establishing positive social interactions with their peers.
Find Clip Clop at the Westminster Public Library!
Find Clip Clop at the Westminster Public Library!
September 12, 2018
The girls and I heard this story during baby story time at the library today and we all enjoyed it. F enjoyed being bounced on my lap as we said "Clip-clop". L likes any story that focuses on animals, and this one had bright, bold illustrations. She got a big kick out of the ending; there was a big smile on her face when all of the animals went flying.
May 28, 2021
Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck ask Mr. Horse for a ride on his back. It's great fun, until they get thrown from Mr. Horse's back...but Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck land softly in a pile of hay and LOVE it so much they ask to go again.
A great choice for storytime (for babies up to 5s).
Storytime:
Farm Animals
A great choice for storytime (for babies up to 5s).
Storytime:
Farm Animals
September 5, 2023
A perfect board book, especially for toddlers. A group of different animals want to go for a ride on Mr. Horse and he obliges! And boy! doesn't Mr. Horse clip-clop fast!
Little ones can be placed on the knees of caregivers during stortime and pretend to ride Mr. Horse. Older Toddlers can help replicate animal sounds.
Cute and fun!
Little ones can be placed on the knees of caregivers during stortime and pretend to ride Mr. Horse. Older Toddlers can help replicate animal sounds.
Cute and fun!
July 24, 2018
I think this book would be better for a baby who is starting to understand language more. There are no sounds, and the concept, while simple, needs to be understood to be truly enjoyed. We'll pick it up again in 2019!
September 19, 2018
Very short and delightful adventure story. Great for very young children. Gives the reader the opportunity to use several different voices and encourage children to participate in the "Clippity-clop" refrains.
August 12, 2019
This is such a fun book! All the farm animals want to ride on Mr. Horse. Then they want Mr. Horse to go faster. Then...oops! I love reading this to my granddaughter. It's a delightful book with lots of repetition.
October 3, 2019
Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: Babies+
Content: farm animals, going for a ride, make your own fun, doing things for others
Plot: Horse takes the other farm animals on a ride with a big finish!
Wordiness: Repetitive in form right until the end.
Length: medium-short
Illustrations: Clear, cute; i love the Horse's teeth.
Other: Would be fun to combine with felt or stuffed animals for an exciting real-life crash
Age group: Babies+
Content: farm animals, going for a ride, make your own fun, doing things for others
Plot: Horse takes the other farm animals on a ride with a big finish!
Wordiness: Repetitive in form right until the end.
Length: medium-short
Illustrations: Clear, cute; i love the Horse's teeth.
Other: Would be fun to combine with felt or stuffed animals for an exciting real-life crash
December 12, 2019
Fun little story that the littles can relate to. It's a board book; even 1s and 2s would love to read it over and over. The text is simple enough that I can imagine little ones "reading" it to themselves.
June 9, 2022
It's hard to review a book with so simple a story, but I can tell from the excited rips in the pages of this library book, made by little fingers clumsy in their eagerness to turn the page, that it's repetition and animal antics holds appeal with young readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
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