Kirkus Reviews

Young Julia, a horse-mad little girl, wants a pony of her own. She saves her pennies and attends the Chincoteague pony auction, but she doesn't have quite enough. Others in the gathered crowd, seeing her distress, hand her bills, and, when a foal is unexpectedly returned, she makes the winning bid. Some background on the legend of the ponies' Spanish origins and on the details of Chincoteague's annual Pony Penning Day helps to fill out this slight tale. Inspired by the author's childhood fondness for Marguerite Henry's classic works and an actual Chincoteague pony auction event, this rather bland tale plays up the romantic notion of horse ownership without much consideration for the realities. Moreover, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations pale in comparison to the playful liveliness of Wesley Dennis's, invoked in the introduction. Stiff compositions, often awkward poses and corny expressions on little Julia's face combine to make this a visually tepid experience. The large trim and appealing pony on the cover will make kids reach for it, but the contents don't live up to the packaging. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal (Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

K-Gr 2 Julie's favorite story is Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague , and her fondest wish is to have a pony of her own. The child convinces her farm-dwelling parents to take her to Chincoteague Island for Pony Penning Day so that she can bid in the auction. Unfortunately, she is continually outbid and realizes that the money she's earned won't be enough. Then one pony is returned and several people in the crowd pitch in to make her dream come true. This story is based on an incident that Jeffers witnessed when she went to this auction. The lovely illustrations capture Julie's love of horses, the beauty of the ponies, and the excitement of the roundup by the "saltwater cowboys" of the volunteer fire department. Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Julie, who loves reading Misty of Chincoteague, works hard to earn enough money to buy a pony, which she plans to do at the annual pony penning and auction at Chincoteague Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore. At the fairgrounds, she feels an immediate connection with one black-and-white filly. But when the bidding begins, Julie is outbid on every pony, not just the one she longed for. In the end, though, she fulfills her dream through the kindness of strangers. It's a hard heart, or at least a heart that hasn't been pre-softened by readings of Marguerite Henry's Misty books, that won't be touched by this lovely picture book. Based on an incident Jeffers witnessed on Pony Penning Day, the story is told in simple, direct language with an aside that briefly explains the legend of how ponies came to Assateague Island and how saltwater cowboys round them up and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague each year. With echoes of Wesley Dennis' illustrations, Jeffers' precise, graceful ink-and-watercolor artwork will captivate children, especially those who share Julie's fascination with ponies.

Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

With its sparkling pink cover and pony, this book will surely appeal to My Little Pony collectors, but Jeffers's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">My Pony) heartwarming story of a girl achieving her dream offers much of substance, demonstrating the kindness of the Virginia community dedicated to saving the Chincoteague Island ponies. When Julie doesn't have enough money to buy a pony at the yearly auction, townspeople contribute their own money to make sure her months of hard work are rewarded. The author's theme—how it is that children learn to be generous—is delivered with a light touch: Julie vows to work just as hard the following year so she can help another girl buy a pony of her own. Unfortunately, the striking author's note about the bighearted Chincoteague tradition of helping others precedes the story, effectively spoiling the suspense. The paintings, rendered in a variety of sizes, capture the beauty of island sunsets and the spirited ponies; they do special justice to Julie's breathless anticipation and initial disappointment. An homage to Marguerite Henry appears in an illustration of Julie reading Henry's classic <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Misty of Chincoteague. Ages 3–8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)