In a pasture in Kansas one early spring morn
A horse quite unlike other horses was born.
His coat was coal black so they named the horse "Blackie,"
And before very long folks found out he was wacky!

See, most colts are frisky but Blackie was not.
Blackie liked standing still! Yes, he liked it a lot!
What's the hurry?" thought Blackie. "There's so much to see
Standing here in the shade of a juniper tree...."

Thus begins "Blackie, The Horse Who Stood Still," a children's book based on Tiburon's Blackie. The book was written by Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson in playful, rhyming text and is accompanied by 45 of Paige's lyrical full-color illustrations. It's coming out on September 19th and is published by the Tiburon Peninsula Foundation and Welcome Enterprises, and will be distributed by Random House. (Learn more here!)

The book tells the (mostly) true story of Blackie, a horse who made standing still a lifelong endeavor, while at the same time becoming a champion rodeo horse, a tourist favorite at Yosemite National Park, a legendary environmental crusader, and the beloved mascot of one of America's most beautiful towns - Tiburon. The book delivers an important message about appreciating and preserving the natural beauty around us and is destined to become a children's classic.

The word quickly spread 'bout the new horse in town
And from all 'round the country young kids headed down
To the pasture where Blackie could always be found
Standing still, like a rock, on the same patch of ground.

About the authors
Christopher Cerf, son of Bennett Cerf, is an author, composer-lyricist, record and television producer, and cofounder and president of the educational television production company, Sirius Thinking, Ltd. He has won two Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street.

Paige Peterson is the daughter of Connie Wiley and a successful painter who lives in New York City. She has appeared on Oprah and Fairfield Exchange, and has designed and styled segments for ABC's "Good Morning America." While growing up in Belvedere, CA, Paige fed Blackie apples, carrots, and sugar cubes.