HOOFPRINTS OF HOPE DEVOTIONAL: Book Review and Giveaway

If your kids are absolutely crazy about horses or just curious about them, then you’ll want to check out this review of Hoofprints of Hope Devotional: 52 Wonders of Faith & Science for Horse-Loving Kids. Plus, we have a giveaway with this one!

The Author

Kathy O’Neill has ridden horses most of her life. She graduated from the University of Maine with an education degree and concentrations in art and child psychology. She’s taught in Christian schools and homeschool groups while helping her husband in his ministry as a pastor.

Kathy writes devotions, Bible studies, and nature features. Her writing appears in many publications, including The Quiet Hour, Clubhouse Jr., and Lighthouse Bible Studies. Hoofprints of Hope Devotional is her first book.

If you’d like to learn more about Kathy, you may visit her blog, Kathy-Oneill.com or you may enjoy reading a delightful interview I had with her here.

About Hoofprints of Hope Devotional

This is such a fun and unique book for ages 8 – 12. Published by Tyndale Kids as one of their Faith & Science books, it contains fifty-two devotions.

The book is divided into four parts. The first part is “Breeds of Horses.” The second part is “Famous and Not-So-Famous Horses.” The third section is titled “God Made Horses Special,” and the fourth section is “Activities with Horses.”

Each devotion covers about three pages. A Bible verse is printed at the top of each page. Following that is either educational information about various breeds, an interesting story about a famous or “not-so-famous” horse (one of my favorite sections), remarkable information about how horses were created, or activities you can do with horses.   

After that is a journaling prompt in an area where you can “Corral Your Thoughts.”

“Gallop Into Action” is a call-to-action challenge or activity. And lastly, there are “Fun Notes from the Barn,” which offer additional interesting tidbits about horses.

Photos of horses or tack accompany every devotion.

Example of a Hoofprints Devotion

One example is the devotion about the pack horse, Sunny Jim. This story caught my attention because I am familiar with the Pack Horse Library Project, which started during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

O’Neill shares a bit of the history behind the project and about one of the pack horses that helped deliver books to remote areas in Kentucky. At the end of the story, there is a tie-in:

“You don’t have to ride into remote mountains like Sunny Jim to see that there are needs everywhere. Jesus taught the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbors as ourselves. When you show love for others and find ways to help them, you are like the ladies and horses of the Pack Horse Library Project, who showed true love to people in need.”

Following this is a prompt for readers to write down several needs they have heard of in their area and a challenge to find ways to help.

The devotion ends with a fun note about how many people pack horses served by 1937.

Bonus Activity Pack

A fun activity pack that goes along with the book is available as a free download. It includes puzzles, a writing prompt about a dream horse, a craft idea, and more.

You can access it here: https://www.kathy-oneill.com/hoofprints-of-hope-devotional/

Recommendation and Giveaway

I think this paperback book is best suited for ages 8 – 10. The font is large and easy to read. It also includes a helpful glossary in the back, along with a list of additional books and websites readers may enjoy.

What they learn will make great conversation starters with their grandparents because the book mentions many famous horses older adults may have heard of, such as Seabiscuit, Trigger, and Mr. Ed.

Imagine a child asking a grandparent or great-grandparent, “When you were a kid, did you watch the show about Mr. Ed the talking horse? Did you know they used fishing line to make him move his lips like he was talking?” What a great way to make a connection with older family members!

We will give away a copy of this book on October 16, 2026, using our standard Winner Selection Process.

I received a free copy of this product. I am not required to write a positive review, nor do I receive any compensation. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in national and worldwide publications, including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.