Pony Scouts: The New Pony (I Can Read Book 2)
Girls and horses continue to make popular bedfellows, as shown by this seventh entry in Hapka’s Pony Scouts I Can Read series. When a new pony, Taffy, named for his color, arrives at the pony farm where Jill lives, she gets to help train him. But getting Taffy to understand her commands is harder than she thought. When Taffy bursts into a gallop, Jill is scared and overreacts by pulling back on the reins, but her mom quickly informs her about the right way to slow Taffy down. It’s doubtful that taming a pony for riding is as easy as these few steps make it seem, but young equestrians won’t mind one bit. The story succeeds in its goal of being a welcoming entry point to reading, while the illustrations ably depict the action and reactions. The final page features “Pony Pointers,” which define the words palomino, green, mounting, and gallop. No doubt, more galloping fun is to follow. Grades 1-3. --Julie Cummins--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.