My Chincoteague Pony - Hardcover

Jeffers, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1423100239 ISBN 13: 9781423100232

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH, 2008

Synopsis

On the farm where Julie lives there are cows and chickens, but no ponies.  With her whole heart, Julie longs for a pony of her own.  And she has a plan. 

 

Every summer on Chincoteague Island, there is an auction of ponies who have swum across the channel from Assateague, where ponies run free.  If Julie works hard and saves her money all year, perhaps she can win the pony of her dreams--her very own Chincoteague pony.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Julie's favorite story is Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague, and her fondest wish is to have a pony of her own. The child convinces her farm-dwelling parents to take her to Chincoteague Island for Pony Penning Day so that she can bid in the auction. Unfortunately, she is continually outbid and realizes that the money she's earned won't be enough. Then one pony is returned and several people in the crowd pitch in to make her dream come true. This story is based on an incident that Jeffers witnessed when she went to this auction. The lovely illustrations capture Julie's love of horses, the beauty of the ponies, and the excitement of the roundup by the "saltwater cowboys" of the volunteer fire department.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Starred Review. With its sparkling pink cover and pony, this book will surely appeal to My Little Pony collectors, but Jeffers's (My Pony) heartwarming story of a girl achieving her dream offers much of substance, demonstrating the kindness of the Virginia community dedicated to saving the Chincoteague Island ponies. When Julie doesn't have enough money to buy a pony at the yearly auction, townspeople contribute their own money to make sure her months of hard work are rewarded. The author's theme—how it is that children learn to be generous—is delivered with a light touch: Julie vows to work just as hard the following year so she can help another girl buy a pony of her own. Unfortunately, the striking author's note about the bighearted Chincoteague tradition of helping others precedes the story, effectively spoiling the suspense. The paintings, rendered in a variety of sizes, capture the beauty of island sunsets and the spirited ponies; they do special justice to Julie's breathless anticipation and initial disappointment. An homage to Marguerite Henry appears in an illustration of Julie reading Henry's classic Misty of Chincoteague. Ages 3–8. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Julie, who loves reading Misty of Chincoteague, works hard to earn enough money to buy a pony, which she plans to do at the annual pony penning and auction at Chincoteague Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. At the fairgrounds, she feels an immediate connection with one black-and-white filly. But when the bidding begins, Julie is outbid on every pony, not just the one she longed for. In the end, though, she fulfills her dream through the kindness of strangers. It’s a hard heart, or at least a heart that hasn’t been pre-softened by readings of Marguerite Henry’s Misty books, that won’t be touched by this lovely picture book. Based on an incident Jeffers witnessed on Pony Penning Day, the story is told in simple, direct language with an aside that briefly explains the legend of how ponies came to Assateague Island and how saltwater cowboys round them up and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague each year. With echoes of Wesley Dennis’ illustrations, Jeffers’ precise, graceful ink-and-watercolor artwork will captivate children, especially those who share Julie’s fascination with ponies. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1423100239
• ISBN 13: 9781423100232
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jeffers Susan
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40