What he lacks in common sense, Steve more than makes up for in positivity and determination to be the best he can be. He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. A Horse Named Steve is a picturebook by Kelly Collier about a horse named Steve who is a fine horse, but who longs to be more.

Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Kelly’s offbeat humor and quirky illustration style sealed the deal, aligning so well with the kind of stories we like to bring to life, so we moved quickly to option the rights from Kids Can Press. As I was reading this to myself it struck me that this would make a great read aloud, especially for someone practicing doing different voices while reading aloud. For example, throughout the book there are some 'big' words and the way they were explained was so witty that you felt like you were a part of some inside joke with the author. One day, Steve discovers a gold horn in the forest, and immediately recognizes it as the means by which he can truly become what he always believed himself to be: exceptional.The illustrations matched the characters perfectly and the story was as entertaining as it was informative. In the first title, Steve starts wearing a unicorn-style horn to get attention, but experiences unexpected challenges in disguise. Steve has lost his new-found EXCEPTIONALITY but the good news is that in trying to rediscover it he actually discovers the truth - his always-been-there, ORIGINALITY. What tips or advice do you have for creators who are working on their own pitch films, or gearing up to pitch a series in general?

However, when he loses it, Steve is devastated and embarks on a slapstick mission to rediscover his best self. The audiobook was voiced by Rainn Wilson, and listening to it, we knew right away, ok, this is our kind of humor. However, when all the other animals in the forest start wearing things on their head, he bucks the trend and stands out with his natural no-horn look. Colin: In these pitches you’ve got one minute to impress somebody before they decide either “this is boring” or “I love this.Many of the pitches are very formulaic, and so to stand out, you want to play with that formula a bit. When Steve finds a beautiful gold horn lying on the ground in the forest, he realizes he has found his path to the exceptional!