Polonius the Pit Pony

Travellers' Tales

by Richard O'Neill, Feronia Parker-Thomas (Illustrator)

When Polonius the pit pony escapes from the coal mine he's worked in all his life, he joins a family of Travelers.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Friendship, Animals, Family, Adventure

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2018

About the author

Richard O'Neill is an award winning storyteller, author and playwright. He was born and brought up in the Romani Gypsy community travelling in the North of England and Scotland. His stories embody Romani culture and the mining communities of Northern England.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. We really enjoyed this story of a poor pit pony who escapes his life in the mine and is rescued by some kind travellers. The drawings are lovely and there is a nice message to the story that courage and determination are more important than size. There is an information page at the back about the hard life pit ponies lead, and how this was stopped by law.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for this one. Life under ground in a coal mill must have been terrible for the humans who spent their days doing labor, but for ponies such as Polonius who spent most of their lives beneath the ground, it must have been sheer torture. After Polonius and some of the other ponies are brought above ground to frolic, he likes the fresh air and freedom so much that he escapes. He is befriended by a Traveler girl, Lucretia. She begs her grandfather to let her keep the animal. He insists on returning Polonius to his owner, but the man knows that the pony will no longer be of use now that he's tasted freedom. Fortunately for the family, when they have to move a huge collection of wooden stools to a shipment, Polonius steps up to guide the cart and other horses through the fog, allowing the materials they've made to arrive at the ship just in time. Back matter provides additional information about animals like Polonius who were used in mines. The illustrations capture the pony's personality, the fog, and the story highlights persistence and the fact that even a very small animal with a big heart can save the day. It is encouraging to have stories like this one that remind readers of the contributions of animals while describing mining practices no longer used today, but also I was delighted to have such a well-told and engaging story that pushes against some of the negative assumptions about Travelers, once known as gypsies.

[Zoë Siobhan Baillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horses! Travellers! Coal mines! Heroism! Another wonderful traditional story retold by Romani author Richard O'Neill with wonderful illustrations. Romani words sprinkled throughout the text with a little glossary, and some history of pit ponies at the back of the book too.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story with okay pictures. I don't think it will stick in my mind, but I did enjoy reading it.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of the illustrator, who has drawn one of the ugliest ponies you'll ever find in a children's picture book. I thought I'd give the book a go anyway.

Big mistake.

This was a promotion for the traditional Romany Gypsy way of life ... a way of life that probably never happened. When I lived in the UK, I was often called a Gypsy or Traveler just because I was homeless. In a long series of bizarre events, I found myself shoved into a pub filled with all Gypsy men, who all dressed like anybody else and had cars. I was forced to sing, and it was one of the scariest experiences of my life.

How I got out unscathed, I'll never know.

So no -- I'm not a big fan of the Gypsy life. I'm also not a fan of how they treat horses. Just Google traveller horse abuse if you have a strong stomach. In the real world, Polonius would've found it just as hard living with Travellers as in a coal mine. Girls and women also were discouraged from working with horses, which were considered animals only for men and boys.

Although the book says this is based on a true story, I smell bullshit. What coal mine would give away an experienced pony?

And then there are two horses that look like modern Gypsy Vanners. Considering that this story is set about the 1930s, the breed hadn't existed yet. It was a more modern creation. There are a lot of myths associated with the breed, so it's really hard to find out if the breed existed before the 1980s.

I can usually overlook some romanticized moments in a kid's book, but these were just too annoying.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polonius the Pit Pony by Richard O’Neill, illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas. PICTURE BOOK Child’s Play (Publisher Showcase), 2018. $17 9781786281869

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Polonius was a pony who helped pull coal from a mine, which was known as a pit pony. When he was brought out of the mine for a vacation he ran away and joined a group of travelers. When the owner found Polonius he told the travelers that they could keep him because he wouldn’t be able to get him to work the mine now that he had been free. Although Polonius was small, he ended up helping the travelers get their goods through a foggy night to a make it on time for one of their important orders and his story became a legend to show others about determination and courage.

I liked the message of this book that Polonius could do hard things even though he was small. The pictures aren’t that appealing and there are a lot of words such as “gry” and “sulky” that make the story hard to understand. There is a super small glossary on the title page that tells what the words mean, but I don’t think young readers will have the patience for that.

C. Peterson
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Ellie L · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pleasant illustrated story that offers an insight into the travelling community and the work of the Pit Pony, once used to work below ground in the coal mines. When Polonius and his friends have a chance to run around out in the fresh air, he spots two much larger horses stood with a group of people, untethered and happily grazing. He wonders why they haven't chosen to run away, and finds out about a different way of life, one that he wishes to be a part of.
O'Neill incorporates bravery and different kinds of strength into this traditional Romany tale, which encourages children to think about acceptance, cooperation and working together. This was a nice story, but I felt that maybe the narrative needed a little bit more surprise and flavour to it.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This own-voices story of a pit pony who gets adopted by a Traveler family is sweet with some stretching of the truth, to be sure. The horses talk to one another like people, convincing the pony to escape, and the pony telling the other horse not to be afraid of the fog, while I would prefer to think of the equines having equine motivations rather than ones that suit the people's needs so well. It was nice to be reminded that even in a time when so many viewed animals as tools to be used up until they were broken, Travelers stood out as people who treated their animals with respect. Overall, a book from an often misunderstood perspective that shines a light on a piece of history--the sad life of pit ponies, and the beginnings of the animal rights' movement.

[Andrew Tranefalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loving these books around Romani heritage, told by someone who’s been storytelling virtually his whole life. This story involves heroism and safety, rescues and joy. It also touches on how far we‘ve come in our treatment of animals!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pit pony escapes the coal mine and goes to live with a family of Travelers.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing peek into the past, when horses were kept in mines to pull out coal. Boys and girls looking for horse stories will find this satisfying.

An additional purchase for PreS-grade 3.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wondeful story by Richard O'Neill.