In The Adventures at Red Oak Farm: Things Take Time, the horses talk. So do the dog and even a baby fox. But this isn’t a fantasy world filled with spells or flying creatures. It’s a very real farm, filled with real emotions, where nature moves slowly and healing takes time.
So why do the animals talk?
That’s a question readers (especially grown-ups) may ask, and the answer is simple: because sometimes, giving animals a voice helps us hear something we might’ve missed otherwise. And because children, deep down, already believe animals can talk. They’re just waiting for someone else to believe it, too.
It’s Not Just About Talking, It’s About Feeling
When I was writing this book, I didn’t want to create a magical world that felt too far away. I wanted to stay rooted in the rhythm of real farm life, the work, the weather, the way animals move and breathe and respond to the people around them.
But I also wanted readers, especially young ones, to feel what those animals might be feeling.
Giving a voice to Bravo, the anxious and guarded Arabian horse, wasn’t about fantasy. It was about empathy. It was about letting kids step into his world for a minute and understand what fear looks like from the inside. His thoughts aren’t complicated or overdone. They’re honest, sometimes broken, sometimes hopeful, just like anyone working through something hard.
Letting the animals “talk” gave me a way to show what it looks like to be misunderstood… and what it means to slowly let someone in.
Kids Already Understand This Magic
One of the most beautiful things about writing for children is knowing that they already live with one foot in the real world and the other in imagination. A child doesn’t need to be convinced that a horse has thoughts, or that a dog like Cowboy understands more than he lets on. They feel it. They believe it.
So when the animals in Things Take Time speak, it doesn’t break the story’s realism, it deepens it. Because that little bit of magic helps express things we often can’t put into words. Things like fear. Loyalty. Grief. Trust.
By giving those emotions to animals, kids can process them gently. It’s not as overwhelming. It’s not about them, yet it is.
The Voices Are Different for a Reason
Each animal in the story has a different voice. Bravo is cautious, careful, and always alert. Cowboy is opinionated, loyal, and often funny. The pintos, Splish and Splash, are playful and a little mischievous. And Vixen, the baby fox, is soft-spoken and unsure of her place in the world.
These voices reflect not just who the animals are, but what they’re going through. And they help readers see that everyone, animal or human, has a story behind their behavior.
That idea matters. A lot.
Because if a child learns to wonder, “What might this horse be feeling?” they might also begin to ask, “What might this person be feeling?” That’s how empathy begins. Through imagination.
A Soft Touch in the Real World
Even with this magical twist, nothing in the book happens by magic. Bravo doesn’t suddenly become brave. Stacy doesn’t magically know how to fix everything. The animals don’t solve problems for her. The world still follows real rules. Emotions still take time to process. Growth still happens slowly.
The talking animals are just there to offer a new layer of understanding, to help readers feel things from more than one perspective. And in a story about healing and connection, that’s a powerful tool.
Realism Doesn’t Mean Holding Back
Some people might think that adding talking animals makes a story less serious. I’d argue the opposite.
The Adventures at Red Oak Farm: Things Take Time is deeply grounded in emotional truth. It’s a story about trauma, trust, and personal growth. The animals don’t distract from that, they shine a light on it. They help young readers explore feelings in a gentle, safe, and imaginative way.
In real life, we don’t always get to hear what others are thinking. But in stories, we can. And if a child learns something about kindness, or patience, or second chances from a horse who finally speaks his mind, that’s a kind of magic I’ll always stand behind.
Visit: Regina Richmond Books