Super bedtime pony tales
Super bedtime pony tales
for the under-twelves…
THERES a very large equine among Mary Mays Patchwork of Ponies*. Thats Lady the 17hh Shire whose recovery from colic is all due to the horse sense of stable lad Erbie Borrow during the chilly April of 1878.
The tale of Erbies diligence is one of a dozen included in the latest book from Manor Acre, the small Wiltshire publishing company run by Mary May who is a farmers wife and livery yard proprietor as well as a childrens author.
Her previous books have been novels for and about pony-mad young people, and like this latest offering, are illustrated by Anne Graham Johnstone.
Miss Graham Johnstone has illustrated a host of well known childrens books and is also a sought-after illustrator of equestrian ones. She has a special interest in carriage driving, as does Mary May. Miss Graham Johnstone is a regular helper with the Mid-Suffolk Group of Disabled Drivers – and profits from Marys books and the pony stationery she sells go to help support groups of this kind.
So it is fitting that at least one story in the latest book should have carriage driving as its theme. Each story is quite different ranging from the touching tale of a New Forest foal to the exciting holiday adventure when young riders foil tack thieves.
The book is intended for bedtime reading for those aged six to 12 years and all the stories have been tested on and approved by readers in this age group. AR Patchwork of Ponies (paperback) by Mary May is available from Manor Acre, Manor Farm, Collingbourne Kingston, Marlborough, Wilts SN8 3SD (£6.95). Please add 50p post & packing.