Pony Poems for Little Pony Lovers

PreS-Gr 1 This unremarkable collection of poetry offers 16 sweet, slight verses about horses and the children who love them. Despite its rosy-hued cover, the interior avoids gender stereotypes by including boys and girls in the accompanying artwork; the children represented are also racially diverse. Unfortunately, there is not much to the poems, which range in length from four to eight lines and rely heavily on simple rhymes ("Bay horse, bay horse, / carry me to town. / You will get a carrot. / I will get a crown."). This brevity makes the collection suitable for reading aloud, and perhaps even for introducing very young readers to poetry, but it also results in poems that feel underdeveloped and uninspired: "Molasses and oats-- / oh, so sweet. / Come, little pony. / Come and eat." Rendered in watercolor and mixed media, the illustrations are warm and cheery, if a bit flat. VERDICT May appeal to young readers with a keen appreciation for horses, but unlikely to find a wider audience.-Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Sure to become a fast favorite among the pony-preoccupied.