The Baby Pony

Pony Pals Super Specials #1

by Jeanne Betancourt, Paul Bachem (Illustrator)

Do you love ponies? Be a Pony Pal! When a foal is dropped of at the Crandal Animal Clinic, the Pony Pals want to care for the baby pony. The poor foal has no mother and no home. But caring for a foal is a lot of hard work. The pony is not easy to control. Can the Pony Pals find a way to care for the pony? Will the pony survive?

Genres: Horses, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Contemporary, Young Adult

93 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1996

About the author

When I was growing up I never thought of being an author. I was a terrible speller and didn't want to write any more than I had to. I wanted to be a tap dancer when I grew up. After a few years of teaching junior high and high school, I wrote my first novel. It was a surprise to discover that I liked making up stories and writing them down. I liked it so much that eventually I stopped teaching and became a fulltime writer.

Besides novels for children and young adults, I've also told stories by writing scripts for television and the movies.

I live on the top floor of a sixteen-story building near the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. From my apartment I have a view of Manhattan that includes the Empire State Building and the Plaza Hotel. In my free time I draw, paint, and read. I still love to dance.

Some people think that a writer's life is lonely. But when I'm writing a story I don't feel lonely because I am actively involved with lots of interesting people – the characters in my books. I love knowing that some day readers will get to know these characters, too. If you are one of my readers I hope you have as much enjoyment in reading my stories as I have writing them.

Reviews

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is one of my favourites from the pony pal series. I loved the way it ended. I do think the amount of work put in by the pony pal members was brushed over quite a bit, but other than that, it was an enjoyable quick and easy read.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good lessons on responsibility and judgement.

[Addisyn Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a chapter book and book 1 of the "Super Special Pony Pals" series. This one is to be read between Pony Pals book 9 and 10. My now grown daughter LOVED these books as a child (she begin to read them when she was about 8) and read all of the ones in the series. I found her copy of many of them and decided to try and read them to see what they were like. You can read these as stand alone books; but the reader would understand and relate to the girls better if you read them in order. If you have to miss one 'here and there' it's not big deal; you won't be lost but just get the full effect better in order.

It's a nice storybook of friendship for three girls (all 5th graders) and the bond they form with each other and each of their ponies. In this story one of the Pony Pals' Dad is a vet and he receives a baby pony that is only a couple of days old. The pony's Mama has died and so they need someone to care for the pony. The three Pony Pals say they can take care of him that means bottle feeding him every few hours around the clock. Cleaning up after him and teaching him the ways of a pony. He starts getting a bit spoiled; and the girls come together to try and find him a Mama horse that might take him. One lady comes to look at him but the girls don't like her attitude toward the baby so they don't let her take him even though it means more work for the girls. They are living in the barn sleeping there etc. BIG responsibility for three young girls. But they have stuck by their word and perseveres through until they do find a nice home for him. GREAT story to encourage readers that they can do things and if they say they will do something that it's their responsibility to stay with it to the end.

As a mother reading these books I really appreciate the way Ms Betancourt has written about the girls putting their heads together and trying to work out problems together and coming up with solutions themselves. As the young adults they are becoming it gives the girls in the story the opportunity to think things through. Which helps readers know they could do the same thing to try and find solutions as the young adults they will be in a few years. Thus far in each of the books I've read of this series the girls have tried to come up with solutions to problems and that is such a good thing to teach children

[Alisha Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pony Pals was one of my favourite "horsey" series growing up. Jeanne Betancourt has a writing skill that makes the books easy to read and interesting. I read many of the series and I was enthralled with each new story.

THE BABY PONY (Super Special #1) - this was the first super special and it definitely written as though it was a little more special than the other books. Out of the whole series this book was my second favourite.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, I LOVED the baby pony and I would have been sad if I had to give it away too, just because we had to go back to school. I wish I had a pony! I would be really happy if I had gotten the pony before Eve came. But I'm still happy that Eve got it, because it made her really happy since her pony had a baby, but it died on the same day.

[Christine Meunier · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first super special of the Pony Pal series, The Baby Pony, the three girls find themselves suddenly in charge of an orphan pony. Lulu and Anna find that Pam hasn’t met them for their planned ride over the school break.

Read more at http://equus-blog.com/the-baby-pony-p...

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite part was when baby got a home. the worst part was when babys mom died after baby was born. my favorite characters were the pony pals. there was no worst character. auryn 10 years old, 2014

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

read them all when i was little

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for recommending this book to me, Abbie!!! You were right, it was a wonderful, great, fun, intriguing and exciting book to read!!!

[Alsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better then the others.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, and demonstrates well what it would be like caring for such a young pony.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series to my daughter before she could read them herself. Now that she is able to read them she loves them! I would definately recommend any book in this series!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accelerated Reading Level 3.8, AR Points 1.0

Very cute book. I like the girls reasoning in picking a home for an orphan pony.

[Rachel Hacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter loves all of the Pony Pal books but this one was her favorite.