If the characters in Marguerite Henry's books seem real it is because they usually are real. Often they are based on people and animals that have been part of her own life. Misty of Chincoteague, based on the roundup of wild ponies on an island off the coast of Virginia, has enchanted readers and reviewers alike. King of the Wind, the story of the famed Godolphin Arabian, was a winner of the Newbery Medal and has been read and reread by children all over the world.
The Little Fellow, a picture book set in beautiful bluegrass country, is a joyful introduction for younger children to the world of horses. The story tells of a real foal named Chip and his mother, Chocolate. Chip was the darling of the stable until Strawberry Jenks arrived. The author watched the biting, fighting fracas between the young rivals, and marveled by what means peace in the pasture was restored. In this freshly written edition, Marguerite Henry has woven the facts into a warm, humorous story.
Originally published in 1945 with illustrations by Diana Thorne, Marguerite Henry rewrote her text in the 1970s, and artist Rich Rudish re-illustrated it. Rudish was an accredited judge of the American Horse Show Association, and owner and trainer of champions. His pictured animals are flesh-and-blood true, and by the subtlest strokes the twitch of a lip, the flick of an ear he gives them personality.
Did you find this review helpful?