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Little Appaloosa
When Ben's father gave him a pony for his birthday, Ben's fondest dream was realized. After many adventures, Ben must decide what to do when a wealthy rancher offers to buy his pony Pal.
47 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 1967
3 people want to read
About the author
Berta Hader
78 books4 followersBerta and Elmer Hader were an American couple who jointly illustrated more than 70 children's books, about half of which they also wrote. They won the annual Caldecott Medal for The Big Snow (1948), recognizing the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". They received the Caldecott Honor Book Award for Cock-a-doodle-doo in 1940 and The Mighty Hunter in 1944.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 29, 2024
This first came out in 1949, when Appaloosas were not well known. This is a modern cowboy story with some attitudes very different from the norm. Ben trains his Appaloosa, Pal, slowly and gently, which was unusual for the time. Also unusual was the positive role Native Americans (called Indians here) play in this book.
The book is dedicated to the real Pal and his owner Lee Harold. If I was Lee, I'd been proud to have this book dedicated to me and my pony.
Goodreads lists the author as Berta Hader, but both the words and the illustrations were done by Berta and her husband Elmer. The pair are best known for their 1948 Caldecott Award-winning book, The Big Snow. There is a delightful double portrait in pencil of the pair wearing oversized cowboy hats at the beginning of the book.
Also at the beginning of the book is a long Authors' Note about wild horses and the origins of the Appaloosa. It wasn't until the 1930s that any effort was made to save the nearly vanished breed. There is controversy today about what the original Appaloosa looked like, but it was all about the color and sure-footedness back in 1949. Now, the Appaloosa is one of the most popular breeds in the world.
This is a very believable and enjoyable story of Ben and Pal, culminating in the big Fourth of July rodeo. It is generously illustrated with both pencil and full color illustrations. There's a lot of detail, with people, animals, and tack. It's a lovely book to relax to.
You can currently find this book at the Internet Archive.
The book is dedicated to the real Pal and his owner Lee Harold. If I was Lee, I'd been proud to have this book dedicated to me and my pony.
Goodreads lists the author as Berta Hader, but both the words and the illustrations were done by Berta and her husband Elmer. The pair are best known for their 1948 Caldecott Award-winning book, The Big Snow. There is a delightful double portrait in pencil of the pair wearing oversized cowboy hats at the beginning of the book.
Also at the beginning of the book is a long Authors' Note about wild horses and the origins of the Appaloosa. It wasn't until the 1930s that any effort was made to save the nearly vanished breed. There is controversy today about what the original Appaloosa looked like, but it was all about the color and sure-footedness back in 1949. Now, the Appaloosa is one of the most popular breeds in the world.
This is a very believable and enjoyable story of Ben and Pal, culminating in the big Fourth of July rodeo. It is generously illustrated with both pencil and full color illustrations. There's a lot of detail, with people, animals, and tack. It's a lovely book to relax to.
You can currently find this book at the Internet Archive.
Displaying 1 of 1 review