SETTING WONDER FREE Maryke Barnes Illustrated by Jirina Marton Toronto, Annick Press, 1993. 24pp, library binding, ISBN 1-55037-241-6 (library binding) $14.95, ISBN 1-55037-238-6 (paper) $4.95 Distributed by Firefly Books. CIP Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2/Ages 4 to 7 Reviewed by Lorrie Ann Wannamaker. Volume 21 Number 4 1993 September Wonder is a horse, a wooden horse who lives in the basement of a little girl's home. He used to be the favoured rocking horse of the little girl in the story and her younger brother as they both used to take fanciful journeys on his back. The dilemma now is what to do with Wonder. The little girl isn't quite ready to give him up but feels sorry for him because he is stuck in the basement, and takes him outside to the grassy fields in order to set him free. Slowly she begins to realize that she is past the age to enjoy Wonder any longer and that he needs "a kid on him"! Wonder's freedom takes a special twist by the end of the story. The author, Maryke Barnes, gets her story across to the reader in simple and clear sentences. The artwork by Jirina Marton matches the writing style with uncompli­cated illustrations. This book would be a wonderful comple­ment to the gift of a wooden horse. The younger child would enjoy the story and an older child would appreciate the truth that is found in the ending. Recommended. Lorrie Ann Wannamaker is a vice-principal at Prince of Wales School in Hamilton, Ontario.