King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian
by Marguerite Henry, Wesley Dennis (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

A young Moroccan stableboy named Agba is charged to take care of a new foal. The foal’s mother has died, and Agba feeds the foal with camel’s milk. He names the foal Sham. When Sham is grown, the Sultan sends him and Agba to France. Sham is to be a princely gift for the French king, but when they arrive, Sham is half-starved and worn from the journey, so he is sent to be a common cart horse. Eventually Sham is bought by a new owner and taken to England with Agba sticking closely to his side. They make some new friends, and find new enemies. Agba has many troubles, but he is determined to stay with Sham and care for his favorite horse as if they were brothers.

The Emperor’s Ostrich
by Julie Berry (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Begonia is searching for her lost cow, when she meets a strange man riding an ostrich. There are rumors that the emperor has gone missing with an ostrich from the royal zoo. The strange man refuses to tell anyone his name, so Begonia assumes that he is a traveler like herself. She meets a boy named Key, and they travel together, trying to return the cow home. However, the cow and ostrich have their own ideas, and lead them all into many adventures.

The writing is well done, the plot is wild and hilarious, and the world building is a strange mixture of cultures. The story is very silly and funny, but not quite my style of humor. But I did find it, enjoyable and fun to read!

Begonia is a very responsible character, so it was interesting to see her forced out of her comfort zone, thrown into wild situations where she has to expand her own limited perspective.
I also liked the character of Key, who is whimsical and happy go lucky in any circumstances.