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The Little Fellow
Book by Marguerite Henry
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1945
2 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Marguerite Henry
124 books752 followersMarguerite Henry (April 13, 1902–November 26, 1997) was an American writer. The author of fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals, her work has captivated entire generations of children and young adults and won several Newbery Awards and Honors. Among the more famous of her works was Misty of Chincoteague, which was the basis for the 1961 movie Misty, and several sequel books.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 14, 2021
Well, I very much have certainly both enjoyed and appreciated in particular the first part of Marguerite Henry’s picture book The Little Fellow (first published in 1945, but it looks like this edition is from 1975). For indeed, her presented text generally flows sweetly, descriptively and the storyline of little colt Chip’s (the Little Fellow of the book title) first few months and how he slowly learns mostly from his dam, from his mother that eating oats and later on pasture grass is tasty and as good as drinking her milk, the many joys of mutual grooming and how Chip usually just spends his days exploring his stall, his meadow and also getting to know his human family, this is all delightfully and enchantingly realistic to and for me, and does nostalgically remind me of watching our own foals during their first weeks and months of life behaving and acting in pretty much the same manner as Chip is described by Marguerite Henry during the first thirty odd pages of The Little Fellow.
However, once Chip meets considerably younger colt Strawberry and starts to actively resent and harass the latter as an unwelcome interloper on “his” pasture, sorry, but Chip pretty much acting like a major bully in part two of The Little Fellow, this does textually feel rather too blatantly and obviously anthropomorphic for my own and personal reading tastes. For yes and in my humble opinion, when Chip with regard to Marguerite Henry’s printed words on about page thirty of The Little Fellow rather totally changes his entire demeanour and suddenly feels and behaves too much like a naughty and bullying little boy than like a colt, much too human and not really sufficiently equine anymore, this does really rather put a massive damper on my reading pleasure, not enough for me to consider The Little Fellow as textually inappropriate in any manner, but I have definitely found Marguerite Henry’s text, and her descriptions of Chip considerably more realistic, engaging and readable before Strawberry (and his dam) arrive on the scene.
And combined with the fact that albeit Rich Rudish’s accompanying illustrations are certainly nicely realistic and as such do provide a sufficiently adequate visual mirror to and for Marguerite Henry’s featured story, Rudish’s artwork is in my aesthetic opinion also more than a trifle emotionless, stagnant and as such certainly does not at all demonstrate the delightful equine emotionality that for example Wesley Dennis always features with his accompanying pictures to and for Marguerite Henry’s horse stories, and yes indeed, this lack of illustrative magic, that Rich Rudish’s depicted horses feel a bit wanting in visual depth and emotional expressiveness in conjunction with my textual frustration that parts of The Little Fellow have in particular Chip and Strawberry acting too much like humans and not enough like horses, for me, this has certainly rendered The Little Fellow into only a three star rating at best rating (not a bad story, and also with decent enough artwork, but not in any manner either narrationally or visually spectacular and not completely realistic either).
However, once Chip meets considerably younger colt Strawberry and starts to actively resent and harass the latter as an unwelcome interloper on “his” pasture, sorry, but Chip pretty much acting like a major bully in part two of The Little Fellow, this does textually feel rather too blatantly and obviously anthropomorphic for my own and personal reading tastes. For yes and in my humble opinion, when Chip with regard to Marguerite Henry’s printed words on about page thirty of The Little Fellow rather totally changes his entire demeanour and suddenly feels and behaves too much like a naughty and bullying little boy than like a colt, much too human and not really sufficiently equine anymore, this does really rather put a massive damper on my reading pleasure, not enough for me to consider The Little Fellow as textually inappropriate in any manner, but I have definitely found Marguerite Henry’s text, and her descriptions of Chip considerably more realistic, engaging and readable before Strawberry (and his dam) arrive on the scene.
And combined with the fact that albeit Rich Rudish’s accompanying illustrations are certainly nicely realistic and as such do provide a sufficiently adequate visual mirror to and for Marguerite Henry’s featured story, Rudish’s artwork is in my aesthetic opinion also more than a trifle emotionless, stagnant and as such certainly does not at all demonstrate the delightful equine emotionality that for example Wesley Dennis always features with his accompanying pictures to and for Marguerite Henry’s horse stories, and yes indeed, this lack of illustrative magic, that Rich Rudish’s depicted horses feel a bit wanting in visual depth and emotional expressiveness in conjunction with my textual frustration that parts of The Little Fellow have in particular Chip and Strawberry acting too much like humans and not enough like horses, for me, this has certainly rendered The Little Fellow into only a three star rating at best rating (not a bad story, and also with decent enough artwork, but not in any manner either narrationally or visually spectacular and not completely realistic either).
November 24, 2011
I enjoyed this book a lot as a kid. The illustrations are very nice and the story, while simple, has a good lesson.
The only qualm I have with it now is that Chip kind of did have a reason to get mad, even if he didn't handle it well and blamed the wrong person. He was used to being spoiled and doted on by the family, and then they suddenly ignore him and give him the same treats as the adult horses? He was wrong to blame Strawberry Jenks and chase him and treat him badly, but at the same time, I could see where he was coming from, and the family was to blame.
Seeing that side of the story, I think the other moral of the story, besides the obvious one spelled out for the demographic audience at the end, is that animals can get jealous, too, so maybe don't spoil one and then ignore it in favor of another one....
The only qualm I have with it now is that Chip kind of did have a reason to get mad, even if he didn't handle it well and blamed the wrong person. He was used to being spoiled and doted on by the family, and then they suddenly ignore him and give him the same treats as the adult horses? He was wrong to blame Strawberry Jenks and chase him and treat him badly, but at the same time, I could see where he was coming from, and the family was to blame.
Seeing that side of the story, I think the other moral of the story, besides the obvious one spelled out for the demographic audience at the end, is that animals can get jealous, too, so maybe don't spoil one and then ignore it in favor of another one....
April 14, 2008
this book is sooo cute
June 1, 2023
It's a great story about a colt on a farm. The colt learns a few things until a new colt is born. Great story for children facing new experiences.
June 11, 2010
Stunning artwork!
December 5, 2011
A great book for teaching sharing to the little one in your life.
July 21, 2012
Notes:
one of our favorite horse books
beautiful illustrations
longer story, best for 5+
one of our favorite horse books
beautiful illustrations
longer story, best for 5+
January 28, 2013
My favorite book when I was a kid :) Beautiful artwork!
August 10, 2024
This is the story of the rivalry between two Thoroughbred foals in the Bluegrass area of Kentucky. Henry based the story on watching the interactions of two foals on a farm. The book is aimed at a younger set of readers than her usual stories. You can currently find this charming little book on The Open Library.
It's not one of her best stories, but it is full of horse action. Unfortunately, one of the mares is named Fanny Jenks, which must've gone down a treat with UK readers. Our Anti-Hero Chip, also called The Little Fellow, is quite possibly the happiest foal in all of equine literature until that Goddamn Strawberry is foaled.
Horses are really rough with each other. Newcomers get quite a beating until they've established their place in a herd. So, Chip's resentment of Strawberry isn't so unusual.
What really makes the book special is the artwork by Rich Rudish, best known for sculpting Sham for Breyer. No, I lied -- he was best known for creating Rainbow Brite. Here, he was not only realistic, but drew his horses this time as a tribute to Wesley Dennis, the illustrator who did Henry's most famous books. Unfortunately, Rudish died young in 1989.
It's not one of her best stories, but it is full of horse action. Unfortunately, one of the mares is named Fanny Jenks, which must've gone down a treat with UK readers. Our Anti-Hero Chip, also called The Little Fellow, is quite possibly the happiest foal in all of equine literature until that Goddamn Strawberry is foaled.
Horses are really rough with each other. Newcomers get quite a beating until they've established their place in a herd. So, Chip's resentment of Strawberry isn't so unusual.
What really makes the book special is the artwork by Rich Rudish, best known for sculpting Sham for Breyer. No, I lied -- he was best known for creating Rainbow Brite. Here, he was not only realistic, but drew his horses this time as a tribute to Wesley Dennis, the illustrator who did Henry's most famous books. Unfortunately, Rudish died young in 1989.
May 28, 2017
This is the story of Chip, the young racehorse and how he learned to make a friend. When Chip was first born he was Dooley's favorite , the family's favorite, and even the other horse's favorite. He loves the sugar cubes best. Chip could hardly wait till he was big enough to partner up and swish fly's off his partner's face. One day a new colt is born and Chip gets jealous. Chip is not very nice to Strawberry, he even bites and chases him. Will Chip ever learn to be nice? Then one day when the fly's are particularly nasty he learns Strawberry could be his partner for swishing flys.
teaching application- This is perfect for a partner activity. They can read the story, do a share activity, and chart about the story as partners.
teaching application- This is perfect for a partner activity. They can read the story, do a share activity, and chart about the story as partners.
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November 20, 2025This is my entry for Leo Tolstoy, "The Little Fellow the Size of a Finger"
Goodreads is impossible to add a book.
From Grok:
“The Little Fellow”
(Russian: «Маленький мальчик» or more commonly known in collections as «Мальчик-скорлупка» / “The Little Tiny Boy” or “The Little Fellow the Size of a Finger”)
Written around 1875–1880 for the Yasnaya Polyana schoolchildren.The story (only 3–4 pages)A poor peasant couple desperately want a child but have none. One day the husband finds a tiny boy no bigger than a finger lying in the forest inside a cracked nutshell. They take him home, name him Malchik-s-Paltchik (“Little-Finger Boy” or “Thumbkin”), and love him as their own son.
Goodreads is impossible to add a book.
From Grok:
“The Little Fellow”
(Russian: «Маленький мальчик» or more commonly known in collections as «Мальчик-скорлупка» / “The Little Tiny Boy” or “The Little Fellow the Size of a Finger”)
Written around 1875–1880 for the Yasnaya Polyana schoolchildren.The story (only 3–4 pages)A poor peasant couple desperately want a child but have none. One day the husband finds a tiny boy no bigger than a finger lying in the forest inside a cracked nutshell. They take him home, name him Malchik-s-Paltchik (“Little-Finger Boy” or “Thumbkin”), and love him as their own son.
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August 26, 2024This is the earlier edition with Diana Thorne illustrations. I wasn't able to find my Wesley Dennis-illustrated copy to compare with, unfortunately. I wonder if the story has been edited at all, given the dialect that Whitey the groom used.
July 29, 2019
one of my favorite books as child. read it till the cover literally fell off.
September 5, 2019
My favorite book from when I was a child. I had a soft cover (was more like a coated cloth), in excellent condition, that was lost on a love, that am looking to replace.
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February 23, 2024First book I can remember reading somewhere around the year 1979. Randomly remembered it last night, all I could remember were the names of the two foals.
October 1, 2019
I loved this book so much as a kid. I had long forgotten about it until I happened to see it on someone's shelf.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews