THE MUD PONY: A Traditional Skidi Pawnee Tale

by Carol Lee--Adapt. Cohen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988

A boy too poor to own his own pony fashions one from mud and white clay. When the Indian people suddenly break camp (the buffalo necessary to survival have been sighted), the boy is left behind with only an old blanket. He dreams that his pony is alive; waking, his dream comes true, and the magical pony takes him to his people. Now the boy becomes a great hunter and warrior, riding his white-faced pony and always remembering to protect her with a blanket, ""For I am part of Mother Earth."" Finally, when he is grown and has become a chief, the pony tells him that it is time for her to return to the earth; he takes the blanket, and the wind and rain dissolve her into earth and clay--yet he knows that Mother Earth is still there. In his first book, Begay (who is a Navaho) has splendidly illustrated this moving, multileveled hero tale. Soft earth tones touched with the sky's many blues and dappled with the white of clay, or light, reflect the stem beauty of the Southwest, the luminous world of the imagination, and the vigorous action of horse and rider. An excellent addition to folklore collections.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988

ISBN: 0590415263

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S