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My Little Pony: 40th Anniversary Celebration--The Deluxe Edition
Forty years ago, Butterscotch, Blue Belle, Minty, Snuzzle, Cotton Candy, and Blossom galloped onto the shelves and became an instant hit!
My Little Pony has played a role in the lives of countless kids since the toy line first appeared in 1983, and each fan has their own favorite generation of characters.
Now, MLP superfans Sam Maggs and Keisha Okafor are joining forces to craft a story about the children who bought the original My Little Ponies, in a tale full of friendship, magic, and toys! Plus, bonus stories by My Little Pony legends Tony Fleecs and Jeremy Whitley.
My Little Pony has played a role in the lives of countless kids since the toy line first appeared in 1983, and each fan has their own favorite generation of characters.
Now, MLP superfans Sam Maggs and Keisha Okafor are joining forces to craft a story about the children who bought the original My Little Ponies, in a tale full of friendship, magic, and toys! Plus, bonus stories by My Little Pony legends Tony Fleecs and Jeremy Whitley.
104 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 2023
25 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Sam Maggs
118 books989 followersSAM MAGGS is a bestselling writer of books, comics, and video games, including Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, Tell No Tales, Con Quest!, and Marvel's Spider-Man PS4. A Canadian in Los Angeles, she misses Coffee Crisp and bagged milk. Visit her online at sammaggs.com or @SamMaggs!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 25, 2024
Cute and nostalgic. Comprised of three short comic stories put together into one volume.
The first story ‘Friendship is forever’ had issues as the the girls in the story spy on adults phone calls and do not seem to have good parent relationships. “I didn’t really want to talk about it with my mom. I just wanted to talk about it with my friends,” is a child’s thoughts after being asked how their first day at middle school was. Sad. Parents and adults are sort of portrayed as meanies in this book—the children are saying they are too busy to be with their friends because of “extracurriculars our parents wanted us to try” (picture of a frowning girl on roller skates). Yeah. Sad. The children also casually suggest lying to each other as ways of getting out of school, “Have the nurse send you home sick’ is a suggestion.
Also…I read this for nostalgic poniness—not wokeness. It’s supposed to be the 1980s!
‘Tales of Dream Valley’ was very cute, artwork and story. It was clever having modern ponies ‘discovering’ the past of old G1 ponies in history books.
And I liked ‘Bonnie’ as well. Although it was almost painful to see the passage of time and how different children think and act today than they used to. Sentimental…and a touch sad, but cute.
The first story ‘Friendship is forever’ had issues as the the girls in the story spy on adults phone calls and do not seem to have good parent relationships. “I didn’t really want to talk about it with my mom. I just wanted to talk about it with my friends,” is a child’s thoughts after being asked how their first day at middle school was. Sad. Parents and adults are sort of portrayed as meanies in this book—the children are saying they are too busy to be with their friends because of “extracurriculars our parents wanted us to try” (picture of a frowning girl on roller skates). Yeah. Sad. The children also casually suggest lying to each other as ways of getting out of school, “Have the nurse send you home sick’ is a suggestion.
Also…I read this for nostalgic poniness—not wokeness. It’s supposed to be the 1980s!
‘Tales of Dream Valley’ was very cute, artwork and story. It was clever having modern ponies ‘discovering’ the past of old G1 ponies in history books.
And I liked ‘Bonnie’ as well. Although it was almost painful to see the passage of time and how different children think and act today than they used to. Sentimental…and a touch sad, but cute.
December 25, 2023
I have been a lifelong fan of My Little Pony. I can't even remember a time in my life when there wasn't a crew of colorful pony toys hanging around in my collection. And my toys were an interesting mix of generations since as the youngest cousin I got a lot of hand-me-down toys as well as a bunch of new ones. So I had a good mix of the late 90s and early 2000s ponies to play with. In addition to that, my singular MLP DVD was a short collection of episodes that first aired in 1987. Way before my time, and still one of my favorite things to watch growing up.
So diving into this comic I knew I was going to have a good time. It throws us back to the original designs of the ponies so well over the course of these three short stories and does a lot to capture the magic of what they meant to people both back then and now. Each of the stories did a great job of capturing the brand's message of friendship in each of these different scenarios.
The first story is such a classic children's adventure. These girls need to save the world with the help of their ponies all the while facing the challenging move from elementary to middle school. It was a lot of fun and I liked how it highlighted both the importance people place on toys and the relationships we develop with them as well as the importance of your friends.
The second story flashed us forward to the most current generation of MLP, which in full honesty I know nothing about. But it was cool to see them frame these earlier generations of Ponys as a part of the current generation's history.
The third and final story was just super sweet. During a power outage, this little girl gets a chance to play with her Grandmas's old ponies. In the process, she learns an important lesson about friendship and her grandma is reminded of her own past lessons of friendship. It was just so sweet.
Just overall a super fun graphic novel perfect for lifelong fans of the brand.
So diving into this comic I knew I was going to have a good time. It throws us back to the original designs of the ponies so well over the course of these three short stories and does a lot to capture the magic of what they meant to people both back then and now. Each of the stories did a great job of capturing the brand's message of friendship in each of these different scenarios.
The first story is such a classic children's adventure. These girls need to save the world with the help of their ponies all the while facing the challenging move from elementary to middle school. It was a lot of fun and I liked how it highlighted both the importance people place on toys and the relationships we develop with them as well as the importance of your friends.
The second story flashed us forward to the most current generation of MLP, which in full honesty I know nothing about. But it was cool to see them frame these earlier generations of Ponys as a part of the current generation's history.
The third and final story was just super sweet. During a power outage, this little girl gets a chance to play with her Grandmas's old ponies. In the process, she learns an important lesson about friendship and her grandma is reminded of her own past lessons of friendship. It was just so sweet.
Just overall a super fun graphic novel perfect for lifelong fans of the brand.
February 4, 2025
Colorful mixture of modern stories and nostalgia.
January 7, 2026
Absolutely delightful comics for fans spanning generations!
January 30, 2024
Review first published on my blog,
Dragon Bite Books
.
3.5 stars
This collects three stories: “Friendship is Forever,” “Tales of Dream Valley,” and “Bonnie,” with “Friendship is Forever” by Sam Maggs, Keisha Okafor, and Rebecca Nalty being by far the longest.
In “Friendship is Forever” four best friends take on middle school in 1984, the year that the first animated special in the My Little Pony franchise aired.
The summer before is filled with hours of playing together with their favorite My Little Pony figures and with the real ponies that they have leased for the summer. When they learn that the barn where their ponies are boarded is in danger of being torn down to make way for a shopping mall, they promise to do whatever they can to prevent the destruction.
But the stress of middle school academics and extracurriculars keep the four friends separated despite all of their promises. Only Julie, white, red-headed, and with a larger body type, remains anxious to save the barn. She dreams that she brings the girls’ plastic horses to life, full-sized, but that she brings a villain’s power back with the ponies, and that she, her friends, and the ponies work together to contain the villain inside of a book.
She wakes to the news that the barn has been saved and that her friends have arrived for a sleepover. What really stopped the barn from being razed? It isn’t clear. Probably not a tag team adventure between these girls and the ponies of Dream Valley or the power of their friendship, but it is nice to imagine having magical friends and guardians.
In “Tales of Dream Valley” by Jeremy Whitley and Amy Mebberson, the ponies of Make Your Mark (the latest generation of ponies in the franchise, introduced in 2021) uncover an ancient, battered tome and speculate when and if the ponies of the 80s franchise fit in the history of Equestria, a fitting expansion on the current storyline which has the ponies working to recover the harmony and friendship lost with the demise of the Friendship is Magic generation, to unlearn the prejudices that grew in the mistrustful time since, and to recover the true history of Equestria.
In “Bonnie” by Tony Fleecs, Brianna Garcia, and Heather Breckel, Bonnie is a modern My Little Pony superfan who is disconnected from the fandom’s media by a power outage. Her aunt Vicki takes the opportunity to introduce Bonnie to the ponies of her childhood, the figures of which she has in a box in the attic. Doing so, Vicki flashes back to 1983 when she shut out her friend Jessie because Jessie had made other friends and Vicki believed that that made Jessie and Vicki no longer best friends. As an apology, Vicki gave her figure of Twilight to Jessie. Bonnie admits that she has had a similar falling out with her best friend. Aunt Vicki retrieves a battery operated phone so that Bonnie can call her friend and mend their friendship.
Afterwards, Vicki texts with Jessie, her friend of more than 40 years, who has kept the Twilight figure, just as Vicki has kept the ponies that she had collected. Of these, I think this story, the most grounded in reality, was the most sentimental and touching.
Overall, this was a nice tribute to the influence that the 80s franchise had on young girls especially, while acknowledging the years that have passed since the franchise’s inception.
I am a child of that first My Little Pony generation, but I don’t have my figures any longer, nor do I recall much about the 80s television series or how I played with the figures, beyond remembering that I had a collection of them and that my mother once indulged my fandom with a mural that stretched around my bedroom.
Whether my love of horses preceded or stemmed from a love of My Little Pony, I don’t know.
I returned to the fandom sometime around 2013 and remain a fan especially of the Friendship is Magic incarnation of the television series that first aired in 2010 and which concluded in 2019. I have kept up with the comics as my library has allowed, and have watched the two films and the Netflix series Make Your Mark about a far future generation of ponies. I have not revisited the 80s or 90s films or series.
3.5 stars
This collects three stories: “Friendship is Forever,” “Tales of Dream Valley,” and “Bonnie,” with “Friendship is Forever” by Sam Maggs, Keisha Okafor, and Rebecca Nalty being by far the longest.
In “Friendship is Forever” four best friends take on middle school in 1984, the year that the first animated special in the My Little Pony franchise aired.
The summer before is filled with hours of playing together with their favorite My Little Pony figures and with the real ponies that they have leased for the summer. When they learn that the barn where their ponies are boarded is in danger of being torn down to make way for a shopping mall, they promise to do whatever they can to prevent the destruction.
But the stress of middle school academics and extracurriculars keep the four friends separated despite all of their promises. Only Julie, white, red-headed, and with a larger body type, remains anxious to save the barn. She dreams that she brings the girls’ plastic horses to life, full-sized, but that she brings a villain’s power back with the ponies, and that she, her friends, and the ponies work together to contain the villain inside of a book.
She wakes to the news that the barn has been saved and that her friends have arrived for a sleepover. What really stopped the barn from being razed? It isn’t clear. Probably not a tag team adventure between these girls and the ponies of Dream Valley or the power of their friendship, but it is nice to imagine having magical friends and guardians.
In “Tales of Dream Valley” by Jeremy Whitley and Amy Mebberson, the ponies of Make Your Mark (the latest generation of ponies in the franchise, introduced in 2021) uncover an ancient, battered tome and speculate when and if the ponies of the 80s franchise fit in the history of Equestria, a fitting expansion on the current storyline which has the ponies working to recover the harmony and friendship lost with the demise of the Friendship is Magic generation, to unlearn the prejudices that grew in the mistrustful time since, and to recover the true history of Equestria.
In “Bonnie” by Tony Fleecs, Brianna Garcia, and Heather Breckel, Bonnie is a modern My Little Pony superfan who is disconnected from the fandom’s media by a power outage. Her aunt Vicki takes the opportunity to introduce Bonnie to the ponies of her childhood, the figures of which she has in a box in the attic. Doing so, Vicki flashes back to 1983 when she shut out her friend Jessie because Jessie had made other friends and Vicki believed that that made Jessie and Vicki no longer best friends. As an apology, Vicki gave her figure of Twilight to Jessie. Bonnie admits that she has had a similar falling out with her best friend. Aunt Vicki retrieves a battery operated phone so that Bonnie can call her friend and mend their friendship.
Afterwards, Vicki texts with Jessie, her friend of more than 40 years, who has kept the Twilight figure, just as Vicki has kept the ponies that she had collected. Of these, I think this story, the most grounded in reality, was the most sentimental and touching.
Overall, this was a nice tribute to the influence that the 80s franchise had on young girls especially, while acknowledging the years that have passed since the franchise’s inception.
I am a child of that first My Little Pony generation, but I don’t have my figures any longer, nor do I recall much about the 80s television series or how I played with the figures, beyond remembering that I had a collection of them and that my mother once indulged my fandom with a mural that stretched around my bedroom.
Whether my love of horses preceded or stemmed from a love of My Little Pony, I don’t know.
I returned to the fandom sometime around 2013 and remain a fan especially of the Friendship is Magic incarnation of the television series that first aired in 2010 and which concluded in 2019. I have kept up with the comics as my library has allowed, and have watched the two films and the Netflix series Make Your Mark about a far future generation of ponies. I have not revisited the 80s or 90s films or series.
January 27, 2025
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A fun blending of various generations to celebrate 40 years of My Little Pony. Explore adventures from Generation 1 through Mark Your Mark with references to Friendship is Magic.
In "Friendship is Forever" (Sam Maggs, Keisha Okafor), follow Julie and her friends as their increasing responsibilities threaten to push them apart. Can they band together and save their beloved barn with the help of their G1 ponies? Okay story. The longest of the three, it has some nice messages though was a bit anticlimactic.
"Tales of Dream Valley" (Jeremy Whitley, Amy Mebberson) features a trio of Make Your Mark ponies who make an important pony history discovery and learn about their G1 past. This was probably my favorite in the collection. The mashup was so fun. I loved the artwork and how it showcases the different styles between G1 and G5.
"Bonnie" (Tony Fleecs, Brianna Garcia) is a close second for favorite story. While staying at her grandmother's house, Bonnie's MLP marathon is interrupted when the power goes out. Her grandmother shares her own G1 figures and helps Bonnie with a friendship problem. Adorable artwork and a cute story with a feel-good message.
The book also includes a cover gallery and a quick overview of how comics are created from the initial script to the finished page.
A cute collection overall. I really enjoyed the overlap between the generations. It was fun to explore how the ponies have changed over time and My Little Pony's history.
A fun blending of various generations to celebrate 40 years of My Little Pony. Explore adventures from Generation 1 through Mark Your Mark with references to Friendship is Magic.
In "Friendship is Forever" (Sam Maggs, Keisha Okafor), follow Julie and her friends as their increasing responsibilities threaten to push them apart. Can they band together and save their beloved barn with the help of their G1 ponies? Okay story. The longest of the three, it has some nice messages though was a bit anticlimactic.
"Tales of Dream Valley" (Jeremy Whitley, Amy Mebberson) features a trio of Make Your Mark ponies who make an important pony history discovery and learn about their G1 past. This was probably my favorite in the collection. The mashup was so fun. I loved the artwork and how it showcases the different styles between G1 and G5.
"Bonnie" (Tony Fleecs, Brianna Garcia) is a close second for favorite story. While staying at her grandmother's house, Bonnie's MLP marathon is interrupted when the power goes out. Her grandmother shares her own G1 figures and helps Bonnie with a friendship problem. Adorable artwork and a cute story with a feel-good message.
The book also includes a cover gallery and a quick overview of how comics are created from the initial script to the finished page.
A cute collection overall. I really enjoyed the overlap between the generations. It was fun to explore how the ponies have changed over time and My Little Pony's history.
January 19, 2025
This is three stories that celebrate My Little Pony over the years. One is about friends that play with their ponies and are struggling with the move to middle school. The second is the newest generation of ponies finding books about the original ponies. And the third is a nostalgic connection between a girl who loves MLP who learns her aunt also had ponies. Always about friendship and magic. Great way to connect the generations and celebrate 40 years of MLP. I had original ponies and remember watching the movies, and have enjoyed each new version. I am glad new people are still enjoying ponies today.
August 31, 2024
A bit of a throwback. I remember having a few of them though I don't much remember playing with them or the stories around them however this edition includes a contemporary story, a throwback story, and a mix of another short story to make it a bit of a collection of stories to bring a new generation back to My Little Pony.
Beautifully colored illustrations, uncrowded panels and pages, and a nifty little story.
Beautifully colored illustrations, uncrowded panels and pages, and a nifty little story.
December 17, 2023
It was ok.
January 10, 2024
Very short, very cute.
May 30, 2025
meh as one of the old people this book keep saying i was i was disapointed i liked the art though as a owner of minty way back when
December 6, 2025
Five stars simply for the nostalgia! Loved the illustrations. I had all 6 of the original ponies and they were some of my favorite toys.
July 31, 2024
This was disappointing. I didn't have accurate expectations of what the book was going to be about from the blurb. The main story was about children who played with the My Little Pony toys. Rather than sticking to what the toys represented, highlighting the power of imagination, or featuring the original animation, the story took a paranormal turn. In addition, the bonus stories were very short and did not fully satisfy.
I think what I really wanted was recognition of the three "phases" of ponydom: the original cartoon, the Friendship is Magic series, and the Make Your Mark series. Something that highlighted the enduring power of the property. I wish that they had framed it as being passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter.
I was able to read it for free from Kindle Unlimited. It's probably worth the time, if you can read it for free, but I do not recommend buying it.
I think what I really wanted was recognition of the three "phases" of ponydom: the original cartoon, the Friendship is Magic series, and the Make Your Mark series. Something that highlighted the enduring power of the property. I wish that they had framed it as being passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter.
I was able to read it for free from Kindle Unlimited. It's probably worth the time, if you can read it for free, but I do not recommend buying it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews