Steve the good-natured, self-absorbed horse and his animal friends are back in a story about teamwork and sportsmanship (A Horse Named Steve, 2017).Steve historically wins the annual Race-a-Thon, but this year the forest creatures have decided on a relay race. To be fair, teams are created by drawing names. Imagine Steve's surprisenay, his consternationwhen he's told his teammates are a turtle, a snail, and a duck! How can they win? Steve has a brilliant ideapossibly prompted by his teammates asking: "Coach us?" "Coach us?" He'll "share [his] running wisdom"! His goofy smile never leaves his face as he spouts nonsensical tips, blithely oblivious to the real needs of his students. Readers are in the know. Simple, sepia-toned, cartoon-style art makes body language and facial expressions easy to read. The action unfolds in a neatly paced variety of double-page spreads, vignettes, and panels. If Steve's coaching is ineffective, it's no matter. It turns out that the racecourse combined with weather conditions is optimal for each of his runners' natural abilities. Turtle, snail, and duck each pull ahead of their competitors. Steve is so proud of them (and himself, of course) that he forgets to run his portion! Steve could beat himself upor conclude that he helped two other teams win.In this comical tale, the lesson lies in how the race is run. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Steve, that indomitable equine from A Horse Named Steve (2017), is back. The forest's annual race is normally his favorite thing, since he always wins (it's his strong bum muscles and long legs). But this year, it's a relay, and Steve's teammates are Duck, Turtle, and Snail. "Good luck figuring that out," says Bob the raccoon. So Steve becomes the team's coach, offering horse-centric advice. On race day, rain creates some obstacles, but Turtle's shell protects him from briars ("He must really be picking up those hooves," says Steve), Snail's shell helps her roll down a hill ("Look at Snail gallop!"), and Duck paddles across a marsh ("Way to stretch your neck!"). It's Steve's turn to run, but he's busy congratulating himself for being an excellent coach and doesn't notice the other racers catching up. The two-colored, cheerfully absurd illustrations center the self-absorbed Steve, while other characters pepper the background with sarcastic, and sometimes supportive, asides. Steve may be kind of the worst, but he's also such wacky, irrepressible fun.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2018 Booklist

Horse Steve always wins the annual race-a-thon, but this year's race is a relay and Steve's been paired with the slowest runners: Duck, Turtle, and Snail. Can he coach his team to success? Can he keep his hubris in check? This comical story about a self-absorbed yet endearing equine is filled with cheeky asides and balanced by simple, monochromatic ink and watercolor art. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.