*The Lost Horse by Ed Young (1998) is a Chinese proverb. I didn’t recognize it from the cover, but after only a few pages it became clear that Young had illustrated a story I only partially remembered. A wise man named Sai perceives events as possibly good but also possibly not. When his horse runs away during a storm, his neighbors view this as a terrible loss. But, the horse returns with a second horse for Sei. Is this good fortune? Maybe. Maybe not. The proverb continues in this way, ultimately ending with Sei’s son spared from going to war. It’s a curious proverb that Young’s collage in pastel and watercolor brings brilliantly to life.
