Pidgy's Surprise: The Little Pony with a Big Heart - Softcover

Jeanne Mellin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983113807 ISBN 13: 9780983113805

Publisher: Willow Bend Publishing, 2011

Synopsis

A Moonbeam Children's Book Award winner!

Sometimes you don t appreciate what you have until it is too late...

Cindy Sawyer has a wonderful Shetland pony named Pidgy. Together they have lots of wonderful adventures but Cindy does not appreciate her cute little pony. What she really wants is a fancy show horse like the ones her friends ride. After a summer of fun and riding, a morning comes when Pidgy goes missing. Not until she looks into the empty stall does Cindy realize how much she really loves her pony. Will Cindy be able to find her beloved pony before it is too late? (Note that the Kindle version does not include the interior illustrations)

Early Chapter Book Ages 7-8

About this title

About the Author:

Jeanne Mellin, equine author and artist, has been active in the equine industry for well over half a century. Her first books appeared in the 1950s and 60s, with popular titles such as Horses Across America, Ponies Across America, The Morgan Horse, and her personal favorite Pidgy's Surprise. Mellin authored several additional books through the years and was personally involved in seeing her beloved Pidgy brought back to life in 2011.

Mellin's artwork is in the English tradition of Herring, Stubbs and Munnings. Her paintings, prints, and bronzes of horses are clearly linked to the tradition of realistic animal paintings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Like many of the earlier English painters, Mellin's work often combines formalist composition with emotional intensity. Each of her animals is an individual in its own right. As Mellin says, "I create the animal so that it will look as if it will move an ear, lift a foot." Mellin's long and intense relationship with horses as a breeder, trainer and judge gives her a unique insight into the individual personalities of her subjects, no matter what their breed or discipline. Her practical experience, her formal training at Rhode Island School of Design, and her frequent painting trips to England have made her a remarkably successful equine portraitist. Art by Jeanne Mellin has been exhibited in England at the Tryon Gallery (London), the Kaiser Gallery (Cirencester), and the Cleveland Gallery (Bath). In the United States her work has been exhibited at Saratoga, The Kentucky Horse Park, and at the American Morgan Horse Institute (Shelburne, VT). In 1992 a limited edition of twelve bronzes of the famous Justin Morgan sold out before being advertised, and in 1990 a bronze of the Dutch Warmblood Preferent Stallion Roemer was cast by Mellin and presented to the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands by Roemer's owners. Art by Mellin is owned by some of the most important collectors of equine art in Europe and America today.

Review:

This is a great book to read to your two-year-old or read it yourself in between the mysteries, romances, adventures or science fiction books that are normally on your reading list. In addition to the captivating story line, all of the detailed illustrations throughout the book, expertly done by the author and world renown equine artist, help your imagination bring the story to life. --Vermont Morgan Horse Assoc.

An engaging read for any horse-obsessed young reader...The horse information is all correct, with a variety of breeds and riding styles (hunter, saddle seat, western, bareback) reflected positively in the pages, and I ve got to give props to any book that includes a horse terms glossary in the back (have I mentioned my weakness for dictionaries, in addition to horse encyclopedias?). And then, of course, there s the illustrations. The black-and-white, pen-and-ink type drawings are pretty much fabulous. If you know any 8 or 9 year olds who are pony crazed, this should pretty much be the next birthday present you give. --Erin McCabe, horsenation@com

Written and fantastically illustrated by famed equine artist Jeanne Mellin, this re-release of a popular story from the 1950 s offers a heartfelt story of a young girl and her discovery of the path of her dreams. Whether a horse enthusiast or not, this book is a loving, kind story with a huge amount of heart. Not to mention the gorgeous illustrations are something that both children and adults will absolutely love. Enjoy! --Amy Lignor, BookPleasures

About this edition

• Publisher: Willow Bend Publishing
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0983113807
• ISBN 13: 9780983113805
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 132
• Illustrator: Jeanne Mellin, Jeanne Mellin