MY PONY WONDER

A young rider and a pony share a day of adventure, challenge, and sweet connection.

Spare, sensory verse follows a tan-skinned child through the full arc of a riding day— from grooming and tacking up a pony named Wonder through a lively trail ride with friends and back home to the barn at sunset. Milo’s poetry is richly tactile, capturing the sound of a crunchy apple treat, the feel of tightening a girth inch by inch, and the heart-thumping tension when Wonder gets spooked on the trail—goose bumps, sweaty palms, and all. Kaulitzki’s illustrations, created using acrylic, watercolor textures, and Adobe Photoshop, glow with an appealing, painterly quality. The youngster rides English throughout—helmet, tall boots, and close-contact saddle rendered with accuracy in every scene. The palette shifts through the day—soft morning greens and creamy whites giving way to dappled forest light and finally the golden amber of a barn-lit evening. Compositions favor sweeping horizontal spreads that capture motion and landscape with equal grace, while the sequence of vignettes slows the pace during grooming. The diverse group of riders who appear throughout adds welcome inclusivity, and Wonder himself—luminous white, expressive, and unmistakably a pony rather than a horse—is rendered with genuine equine charm.

A warm, authentic portrait of the horse-and-rider relationship that will delight young equestrians and dreamers alike.