Locked in the swaying truck the little blind pony snorts with terror. Horse thieves captured him in the dead of night. And now he is being carried farther and farther from home.
What will happen when the thieves find out he is blind? Will they turn him loose? But how can a blind pony find his way home?
Glen Harold Rounds was a distinguished American writer and illustrator whose career spanned over six decades, during which he wrote and illustrated more than 100 books. Known for his vivid storytelling and masterful illustrations, Rounds garnered over 25 literary awards, cementing his legacy as one of the prominent children's authors and illustrators of his time. Born in a sod house near Wall, South Dakota, Rounds had a rugged childhood that involved various jobs such as baker, cook, and ranch hand, alongside adventures in the carnival and logging industries. His early years on a Montana ranch provided a rich foundation for the characters and landscapes that would appear in his later works. Rounds was drawn to art from a young age, and after studying painting and drawing at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Art Students League of New York, he spent time touring the Western U.S. with fellow student Jackson Pollock and their teacher, Thomas Hart Benton. It was during this period that Rounds began his lifelong pursuit of illustrating stories. Rounds’ breakthrough came with Ol' Paul, the Mighty Logger (1936), a collection of Paul Bunyan stories he largely created himself. The book's success launched his career, and he went on to write and illustrate numerous titles, including The Blind Colt (1941) and the Whitey series, which featured a young Montana cowboy. His works often explored themes of the American West, wildlife, and the natural world, with a unique ability to convey both humor and pathos through his illustrations and writing. Throughout his career, Rounds introduced a variety of beloved characters, including Mr. Yowder, the itinerant sign painter, and his books continued to win critical acclaim. Even in his later years, after arthritis forced him to switch to drawing with his left hand, Rounds remained a prolific creator. His last book, Beavers (1999), was lauded for its informative and succinct prose, paired with illustrations that demonstrated his enduring skill and patience. Rounds received numerous accolades, including the Kerlan Award (1980) and the North Carolina Award for Literature (1981). He was also inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2002, shortly before his death. His works continue to be celebrated for their captivating illustrations and stories that bring the American landscape and its characters to life.
I had really enjoyed this short, sweet story about a blind pony and the dog that guided him throughout the tale! The pair go on multiple little adventures and face all kinds of trouble, some more severe than others. The biggest challenge I think for the dog was learning how to find food when he was used to being fed by humans. It's not an easy thing to become a hunter if you've never hunted. And as I was reading I admit I was actually doubtful if the pair would ever get back home, as it just seemed that fence was impossible to get past. How do you get past a fence that just continues for what seems like hundreds of miles? You see the dog could slip under the fence but the pony couldn't. But the dog was a true friend and stayed with the pony even if it meant hardship for him and he did suffer. But he was loyal to his friend.
And the horses in here act like real horses. A+! There is accurate herd behavior as the blind pony is not the only horse in here. They have encounters with wild horses too.
Read this when I was in middle school and never forgot the story. Re-read it recently. Is it a children’s book? Yes. But did I enjoy it just as much? Also yes.
A few years ago I saw a photo of a dog leading a blind dog by the lead. This story reminded me of that photo. In this story, the blind party is a pony. This story is old but if your kids love animals they still might enjoy it. A great story about unusual friendship.
A blind horse and his faithful dog companion are taken by horse thieves. After the thieves realize the horse is blind, they let him go on the range. Dog and horse have many adventures as they search for the way home. The connection between the dog and the horse is very heartwarming.
First of all I keep forgetting that this is truly like the sequel of "The Blind Colt" for the author and the publishing company don't put much emphasis on it. To quite understand this book I recommend reading the first one to see the adventures that led the blind pony to the situation where he is and then to read this but both can work as standalone books without truly relying on the other book.
The book's age is going to be a make-or-break deal for many. Being directed to children the plot is quite simple and quite undramatic compared to some of today's reads for children so it isn't one that you will have to rush to grade or worry about how it is going to affect your children.
Furthermore continuing on the same page as "The Blind Colt" there are plenty of drawings in the bottom of the pages but they are simplistic and in sense primal to what you would see in other books but it adds to the charm.
Finally the last thing I have to give for this book is that it is an animal-directed book where it is told from the viewpoint of both the pony and the dog. Glen Rounds, though, does a good job of not truly humanizing the creatures even though he gives them feelings of a sort while allowing us to get inside what they have to face with the dangers on the range. Truly a unique take on books in a "Western" theme.
This was a light-hearted, quick read. A blind pony stolen from his home, by a band of horse thieves. As soon as they realize he's blind they leave him to die. Luckily his "seeing eye dog" wouldn't let the thieves get away without accompanying the horse. The horse and dog encounter predictable threats and challenges in the "wild" as they try to get back to their home. It has a very Homeward Bound feel to it. The horse and dog of course make an odd couple, and that may be the most interesting part of this book. Though, the fact that it is a western may be it's most redeeming quality now that I think about it. This book was written a while back, so to go into it with any sort of expectations above mediocrity will most definitely lead to disappointment. Overall, I'm glad I read it, actually I'm glad that I was able to read it in approximately 1 and 1/2 hours. Other than that...It leaves plenty of room for improvement.
Warnings: If you are an animal lover, this may strike a cord...Though no permanent harm comes upon them...(or does it?)
There is not much to really say about this book. It wasn't terrible. It was an easy read and it had a cute story about a pony and a dog, however, it was just funny to read. It was one of those books where things seem to be going wrong, but you're not completely bothered by it because you can already predict in the end, everything is going to work out. It really was a quick read once you just get to reading it.
It was written in the 1940's and it shows, for the most part. It really isn't all that bad, but I would never have read this book had it not been for a class.
Warnings? Honestly, there isn't much. There is some abandonment by thieves and there may be some old time language, but if you're reading in today's society (which I assume is what we're all doing) there probably isn't a problem.
This was a quick-read Western novel. The plot was OK--nothing too spectacular, but still decent. Glen Rounds went into a lot of detail throughout the whole story. Sometimes this added to the story, but at other times it detracted because I was too distracted or bored to keep my attention focused. The illustrations at the bottom of each page kept me entertained. Overall, it was a good book---not one I would read again, but one that I liked as I read it the first time.
Warnings: The only thing I can think of is the description. Sometimes the author describes a dead animal or other disgusting images, but it's really not too graphic. There is no language, profanity, etc.
Well, that was embarrassing. I'm glad that it's the shortest young adult book that I've ever read because I think that if it was just a page longer I would've exploded. It's really dated and cheesy. It is however, a western book, that's the only reason why I read it. Not really a big fan of ponies, dogs, or western genre, so I was bound to dislike it greatly.
WARNINGS; Don't read it when you're really tired. You'll only stay awake for a minute.
So...this book is from the 1940s-ish, and it's not that great. Granted, I am biased because I don't care as much about animals and nature as some, but the story just didn't seem that interesting. The best part was that the pony and the dog were friends--that was cute.
This book was definitely written a long time ago. It makes me think of Homeward Bound, but with a pony and a dog. It basically spends forever on them doing different things in the desert while trying to get home. It's ok, a fast read, but nothing I want to revisit.
Warnings: There was almost nothing in this book, maybe some minor animal cruelty, but that was mostly done by other animals.
I read this story to decide if I wanted to send to my nine year old grandson. Sage is starting to read chapter books, although I liked the story I'm not sure it will hold his attention. The last thing I want to do is to discourage him from reading, maybe I will read it to him the next time we visit.
I liked it. It's about this blind colt and how he gets stolen and how the robbers find he's blind, so they let him go and how he tries to find his way home.
I have a different copy which I couldn't find on here. Third printing by Scholastic books in 1971. Love having books that were printed before I was born...lol. TX 1391