Paul and Maureen long for a pony of their own. All year they work with their grandfather taking care of his colts, but every year they are sold off, they’d love one they could keep. So they make up their mind, at the next Pony Penning Day they are going to catch Phantom, and buy her, and have a pony to keep forever.
Phantom is a wild mare, she’s never been penned, but this year Paul is determined that he will help capture her.
Growing up I was always in to horse and pony books. The Pullein-Thompson sister featured very regularly in my trips to the library. And I’ve heard mention of Misty of Chincoteague many times. The book often gets mentioned in other pony books. But I’d never read it before.
It is a lovely book, although a tad dated. I wasn’t too fond of Paul’s remarks to Maureen that she should quit acting like a girl, although I suppose it was written in the 1940s so allowances do have to be made.
But the outstanding thing about the book is the illustrations, they are just wonderful, and they really do capture the capture the feel of the book and the wild ponies.
If you enjoy horse and pony tales then this is well worth a read.
Oh, Fence, quit acting like a girl. Oops. Just kidding, of course. Back in the day it was pony books for the girls and dog books for the boys. I read a lot of dog books, even have a few of them still, which may be an idea for a Forgotten Book post. Hmmm. If the illustrations in this book are on par with the cover, they must be great.
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Better be just kidding!! :)
I read both pony and dog books as a kid & teenager. And now as an adult too! I remember a series of books about a Red Setter, which, from what I remember, was called Red. Or at least the first one was. Did you ever come across that one?
I’ll check, that sounds familiar, I may have one of that series.
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I think the book you were thinking of is Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard. It’s about an Irish Setter.
In my looking at my own shelves, beside the several books by Albert Peyson Terhune, I found Spike of Swift River by Jack O’Brien. I read it over the last couple of dats and will have a review of it up this coming Friday. All thanks to your post.
I think that’s it Richard. From what I remember there were a few books in the series. Fond memories :)
Looking forward to seeing what your “dog books” are like