Monday 16 July 2018

Review by 'Tintin' - The Discontented Pony by Noel Barr





SUMMARY OF STORY

Younger readers pony story. Merrylegs is a little pony who lives on a farm. Knowing his grandfather was a racehorse, he longs for a more exciting life. When he sees a fair one day he thinks becoming a roundabout horse would be a great idea so he runs off to join the fair. However his experiences in the outside world teach him a valuable lesson about life. 

REVIEW 

This is a ladybird book pitched at the very young and is probably more a book intended to be read to people. Brought out in 1951

It is unusual for me to review a book aimed at such a young audience, but it is a beautiful, unusual and perhaps flawed book

The book has the most beautiful illustrations by PB Hickling, they are so beautiful it is almost painful

It is impossible to review the book without revealing the story

Merrylegs (0/10 for horse naming originality) is a little bay pony, possibly an Exmoor, who lives on a farm. His job is to pull the farmer's trap to a nearby town where he sells eggs and dairy products. The pony's friends are a pig and a calf.

The pony's dam told him, when a foal, of his grandfather who was a race horse. This makes Merrylegs discontented. One day when he goes to the town there is a fair and he sees the roundabout horses. This is the life for him - popular and richly decorated (he does n't realise they are not flesh and blood horses and is upset when they ignore him)

That very night he runs away to the fair, but is caught by the rough gypsy types that run it. When he sleeps he dreams of being a roundabout horse - but, in his dreams the lack of rest and nausea inducing speed make him feel ill (the pictures convey this very well) He runs back to the farm and is happy again with his friends and the gentle farmer (who is a bit puzzled as to how his horse has acquired a new halter and lead rope)

The book is beautiful and elegiac, but as a pre-school child it made me so sad I used to cry inconsolably and my mother had to give the book away. I do think it is a bit too sad and deep for the very young children it is intended for. The farmer had a young son and I think there should have been a sequel where the pony could have gone to gymkhanas, shows and hunts and had a bit of fun with a lively youngster a bit like himself.

If it had only moderated the melancholy it would have been gold cup, the quality of the illustrations raised it from 4 to 5 for me


RATING: 5 HORSESHOES (VERY GOOD) 

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Sunday 15 July 2018

Latest authors added to website


In the last few weeks I  have added a number of new author pages to the website. There are authors of both modern and vintage books from the UK. , the USA and Australia.  See below for names and links to their web pages:


NOEL BARR - Ladybird books author who penned The Discontented Pony 

Noel Barr web page

KIMBERLY BRUBAKER BRADLEY - Newbery Honor winner. Wrote The War That Saved My Life

Kimberley Brubaker Bradley's web page

JACQUI/LOUISE BRODERICK - Author of featured star book A Pony For Free

Jaqui Broderick's web page 




PETER DE COSEMO - Author of highly rated and unusual horse book Led by the Grey

Peter De Cosemo's web page

ALICE E. GOUDEY - Acclaimed children's book author of the 1940s and 50s

Alice Goudey's web page

CHARLES KEEPING - Author and renowned illustrator of children's books

Charles Keeping's web page




ERIC LEYLAND aka NESTA GRANT - 1950s prolific author of children's books

Eric Leyland's web page 

HELEN WEBSTER - Little know Australian author

Helen Webster's web page

AMANDA WILLS - Highly popular modern author of the Riverdale pony series

Amadna Wills' web page