The Silver Pony by Lynd Ward: A Book Review

When I first checked out The Silver Pony from the library, I thought the librarian had made a mistake. The huge book wasn't something I had requested for myself and it looked too big for E. But I was wrong; I had requested it, as per the recommendation of Jim Trelease in The Read Aloud Handbook. And I'm so glad I did; it turned out to be a beautiful story in pictures.

Although it seems massive for a preschooler, it didn't take us long to read. (I guess it depends on how much text you make up to go along with the pictures.) But don't be daunted if you don't feel like you are super creative when it comes to wordless books, the pictures tell the story so well, you won't have to dig deep to find words to add. The pictures depict a young farm boy who gets whisks away from the farm by a silver pony. Together, they go on a grand adventure, see the world, and meet new people. The illustrations are ones you won't want to miss.

One caveat: There is a point in the story where the young boy gets spanked by his father. Be prepared to answer questions about that form of discipline if you read this book with your child.

I don't know about you, but I could use an an adventure with a silver pony today.