Bonnie Bess, the Weathervane Horse

by Alvin Tresselt, Erik Blegvad (Illustrator)

When the farm is abandoned, Bonnie Bess's usefulness as a weathervane horse is almost ended. New illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Alvin Tresselt (1916-2000) was born in New Jersey. He was an editor for Humpty Dumpty magazine and an executive editor for Parent’s Magazine Press before becoming an instructor and the Dean of Faculty for the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut. He wrote over thirty children’s books, selling over a million copies. Although White Snow, Bright Snow won the Caldecott Medal in 1948, his best-known book is a retelling of the Ukranian folk tale The Mitten. Tresselt was a pioneer in children’s writing, well known for his poetic prose style. He created the “mood” picture book, in which the setting and description for a story was even more important than the characters and plot.
Memoria Press First Grade Enrichment Guide

Reviews

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

WAIT TILL THE WIND CHANGES...

Bonnie Bess was a high-stepping metal horse atop a weathervane on an old barn; the farmer would rely on her to tell him the direction of the wind --so he would know when to plant his crops and how to tend them. They were a team, those two, in the risky yet rewarding business of depending on the weather for a fruitful harvest. He was proud of their collaboration in his agrarian enterprise.

But years and myriad turns of the weathervane passed; the farmer died and his barn fell into disrepair. No one needed Bonnie Bess anymore. When a strong gust of wind toppled the fragile vane the faithful horse found herself in a ditch, where she lay growing rusty--neglected, motionless and utterly abandoned. Is this the end of her doing good turns for mankind? A gentle, charming story with a quaint old-fashioned flavor, this book will acquaint children with simpler times.

(September 12, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)