Bob Lemmons was a former slave, known to history as a cowboy who was extremely skilled at herding wild horses. In this picture book based on his working life, we follow Bob and his horse, Warrior, as they track down a herd of mustangs, slowly gain their trust, and then lead them back to a corral on the ranch. Jerry Pinkney's dynamic watercolor paintings bring the horses to life with specific, accurate details showing the Great Plains in an earlier era. Julius Lester's exquisitely written text characterizes Bob as a wise and patient man with an instinct for horses. Honor Book, CCBC Coretta Scott King Award Discussion: Illustrator. (Ages 7-9)

Bob Lemmons is famous for his ability to track wild horses. He rides his horse, Warrior, picks up the trail of mustangs, then runs with them day and night until they accept his presence. Bob and Warrior must then challenge the stallion for leadership of the wild herd. A victorious Bob leads the mustangs across the wide plains and for one last spectacular run before guiding them into the corral. Bob's job is done, but he dreams of galloping with Warrior forever to where the sky and land meet.

This splendid collaboration by an award-winning team captures the beauty and harshness of the frontier, a boundless arena for the struggle between freedom and survival. Based on accounts of Bob Lemmons, a formerly enslaved person, Black Cowboy, Wild Horses has been rewritten as a picture book by Julius Lester from his story "The Man Who Was a Horse" in Long Journey Home, first published by Dial in 1972.