Readathon: Hour 7: Pony Island

Ninth book of the Readathon:

Pony Island by Candice F. Ransom

I knew the story of the horses on Chincoteague from my childhood as my teacher read all the books by Marguerite Henry aloud to us when I was in fourth grade. This book tells about the stories of the wild horses on the island, from how they arrived to today, in short spurts of verse.

The pictures are brilliant with color. The text is simple, perhaps sacrificing simplicity for clarity.

Here’s a taste:
“Big ship wrecks.
Stormy sea.
Cargo horses
Swimming free….
Empty island.
Room to roam.
Birds and beaches.
Brand-new home.”

Comments from children:
Sydney, 6, said, “I liked the part with the fire.”
Jayme and Vanessa and Leyah, 6, said, “I liked the part where the horses swam across the water.”
Robin, 6, said, “I liked the pictures.”
Tucker, 6, said, “I liked the part where the horses go through the water.”
Israel said, “I liked the rainbow pictures.”
All of the kids liked the words. They liked how the words rhymed.
5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5