1. In his New York Times Book Review commentary on Smoky, Stanley Walker says, "The story, luckily, is not told in the first person, and therefore James does not find himself forced to attribute any uncanny knowledge to the animal."

What are some examples of the kinds of information that it would have been difficult to present from Smoky's point of view?

2. The narrator of Smoky infuses the story with gentle humor. For example, he states that "when Clint . . . held [the rope] under the pony's nose for him to see what it was the little horse near showed signs of shame for getting scared." What are some of the other humorous passages in the book? How do they affect the narrative's tone and your attitude about the characters?

3. One of the themes of Smoky concerns how a horse's handling affects the sort of horse that...