Review: CHRISTINE - Bedtime Pony Stories

Bedtime Pony Stories is this week's book.  It was first published in 1997 and is illustrated by Mark Smallman. 

The blurb reads:-

F I VE ORIGINAL STORIES BY Christine Pullein-Thompson 

ROSIE GOES TO TOWN 

'Rosie wanted to see her friends again, to drink from the clear pool there and to gallop and buck with the soft grass between her hoofs. The longing grew inside Rosie until she could bear it no longer. Her field felt empty now, the grass all eaten and there was not a single bramble growing on the high rail fence. It did not take Rosie long to escape,  first she leant against the gate, then the slip rails; neither moved a centimetre. Next she went from rail to rail along the high fence, until she found one which moved, and now with one gigantic push from Rosie's chest, it came apart and lay on the ground in splinters. Rosie jumped the lower rail and then she was on the road outside...'

'Rosie Goes To Town' is just one of five original stories in this book written by famous author of pony books, Christine Pullein-Thompson. 

Each story is just the right length for reading at bedtime and captures an enchanting world of ponies and the children that love them.

As the blurb suggests, the book contains short stories. They are complete stories, unlike their Pullein-Thompson Treasury (to be covered later) which contains some excerpts. 

The first story: A Strange Pony in the Garden is essentially a rehash of Little Black Pony, a book written much earlier, albeit with a few things changed. Little Black Pony has been already covered in this blog, so I shall not spoil the story. It stands up on its  own and is a good all round story. 

The second story: Clever Kelpie is the story of Jamie and Morag who live in the Highlands of Scotland. They have a pony called Kelpie. Without wishing to give too much away, it is the story of how Kelpie saved the day. 

The third story, Honey's Day Out is the story of Ollie and his sister Katy plus their non horsey family's day out at a show. 

The fourth story, Rosie Goes To Town is pretty much covered by the blurb. Basically it's the exploits of a pony who lives in Wales who escapes her field. Without giving too much away, it's a story of how things change.

The fifth and final story, Pantomime Ponies is the story of four ponies and their donkey friend. The ponies are rather demeaning to their donkey friend as they usually appear, as the title suggests, in a pantomime every Christmas. But when their owner, Mr Hatter, wants the donkey instead of them, things change and in the end, without giving too much away, the donkey gets accepted.  

If you're wanting uncomplicated,  light reads, then this book is a good read. Yes it doesnt go into depth as it's meant for younger readers, but the stories stand out on their own and are decent enough. It can sometimes be tricky to find but worth it.