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Little Black Pony #2
Little Black Goes to the Circus
3127; Pictoral Hardcover. Very Good/None as Issued. Private Collection. 8vo-over 7+"-9+" tall. Clean, tight, crisp. An I can Read It all By Myself Book. Some light rub to cover and bump to edges
61 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 1963
2 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Walter Farley
168 books1,035 followersWalter Farley's love for horses began when he was a small boy living in Syracuse, New York, and continued as he grew up in New York City, where his family moved. Young Walter never owned a horse. But unlike most city children, he had little trouble gaining firsthand experience with horses-his uncle was a professional horseman, and Walter spent much of his time at the stables with him.
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 23, 2014
This book reminds me of the readers I had when young. I enjoyed it. At first the little black horse gets ridiculed and rejected by the owners of the circus as not being good enough to be a circus horse. However, he shows them ... but then the young boy is worried and sad that his horse will go and join the circus.
March 29, 2016
a boy and his black horse go check out the Circus to see if the horse can do 'circus tricks'. When the horse does a difficult challenge the boy wonders if the horse will still want to be with him in the country.
May 21, 2021
I don't want to talk about the plot a lot because I don't want to give it away for people who haven't read it yet. Also, other people have done so.
I will just say that I first read this book when I was about 7 years old and I just loved, loved, loved it.
I will just say that I first read this book when I was about 7 years old and I just loved, loved, loved it.
June 10, 2018
I loved the first book in this series so much as a little kid and had no idea there were more. Also had no idea they were written by Walter Farley of The Black Stallion fame. Was so psyched to find this and have a quick read. Love love love.
July 1, 2024
This is a review of the 2000 reprint edition. Well, actually, it's a review of the copy digitally scanned into The Open Library. It's a quick read, so read it there now before any new lawsuits force The Open Library to take it down.
You do not have to have the first book in the series to figure out what's going on here. All three books in the Little Black series were stand-alone stories.
Keep in mind, this was written in 1963. There were several traveling circuses, and all of them had animals like chimpanzees, lions, camels, and elephants. At first, the circus seems fun and exciting.
Then, things get creepy real fast.
Yeah, it's not as realistic as the first or third book, but it's different. And shows that people suck, so stick to ponies. Well, that's what I got from it, anyway. Your milage may vary.
Also have to mention that it us no longer kosher for kids to go riding barefoot and without a hard hat. Man, how times have changed.
The illustrations are much better than in the first book, with a larger palette of colors. The illustrations show details of the story not mentioned in the easy- reader text.
You do not have to have the first book in the series to figure out what's going on here. All three books in the Little Black series were stand-alone stories.
Keep in mind, this was written in 1963. There were several traveling circuses, and all of them had animals like chimpanzees, lions, camels, and elephants. At first, the circus seems fun and exciting.
Then, things get creepy real fast.
Yeah, it's not as realistic as the first or third book, but it's different. And shows that people suck, so stick to ponies. Well, that's what I got from it, anyway. Your milage may vary.
Also have to mention that it us no longer kosher for kids to go riding barefoot and without a hard hat. Man, how times have changed.
The illustrations are much better than in the first book, with a larger palette of colors. The illustrations show details of the story not mentioned in the easy- reader text.
February 6, 2018
I give this book a 3 star rating.
This book is about a boy and his Little Black pony. They go visit the circus that is in town and the little black wants to try to be like them. When the ring leader says he can't little black doesn't want to do anything. He practices the tricks that the circus animals do so he can show the ring leader that he is a good horse. After learning how to walk on a board, Little Black goes and shows the ring leader that he can do the same thing as his ponies. This leads to the Ring leader offering a spot for little black in the circus. He decides not to join and stay with the boy.
Ways to use this in a classroom
1) Have students explore a circus
2) Talk to students about overcoming their weakness and showing people they can do it.
3) Ask students if there is something you can do to help them be brave like the little black
4) Discuss with students not to discourage people like the ring leader did.
This book is about a boy and his Little Black pony. They go visit the circus that is in town and the little black wants to try to be like them. When the ring leader says he can't little black doesn't want to do anything. He practices the tricks that the circus animals do so he can show the ring leader that he is a good horse. After learning how to walk on a board, Little Black goes and shows the ring leader that he can do the same thing as his ponies. This leads to the Ring leader offering a spot for little black in the circus. He decides not to join and stay with the boy.
Ways to use this in a classroom
1) Have students explore a circus
2) Talk to students about overcoming their weakness and showing people they can do it.
3) Ask students if there is something you can do to help them be brave like the little black
4) Discuss with students not to discourage people like the ring leader did.
March 21, 2024
I LOVED the first book in this trilogy. It was one of my favorite picture books of last year, but this one, while still really fun to read, didn't live up to the first installment. In this story the narrator tells of Little Black, his horse, and how one day they go to the circus and Little Black wants to join, leaving the boy narrator in a dilemma of wanting his horse (his best friend) for himself, or letting him live a life of fame a fortune in the spotlight in the circus. My rating - 3/5
February 8, 2025
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Super cute children's book by Walter Farley that I'd never seen before that I found at an antique store.
Super cute children's book by Walter Farley that I'd never seen before that I found at an antique store.
June 9, 2010
Reason for Reading: My son read this to me as his reader.
This is the second and last book Farley did for the "Dr. Seuss" Beginner Books series. It continues on with the boy and his pony, Little Black. This time they meet up with a circus and Little Black runs ahead to the circus people to impress them with his tricks. When the circus master Mr. Bruno wants to make Little Black a part of his circus the boy wanders off near by and feels lonely and left out.
A good book for reading once the child gets the hang of the owner's name, Mr. Bruno. I'd say this was a level higher in reader than Little Black, A Pony. A fun, wholesome story but I find it a little over the top. The story isn't very believable and gets a bit carried away. The illustrations are also very bright, bold and a bit gaudy. I suspect in keeping with the circus theme. Children will enjoy the book and any "Dr. Seuss" book from the sixties is better than the current batch being published but I do prefer Farley's first book for this series. Out of print, of course, and not likely not to be re-printed.
This is the second and last book Farley did for the "Dr. Seuss" Beginner Books series. It continues on with the boy and his pony, Little Black. This time they meet up with a circus and Little Black runs ahead to the circus people to impress them with his tricks. When the circus master Mr. Bruno wants to make Little Black a part of his circus the boy wanders off near by and feels lonely and left out.
A good book for reading once the child gets the hang of the owner's name, Mr. Bruno. I'd say this was a level higher in reader than Little Black, A Pony. A fun, wholesome story but I find it a little over the top. The story isn't very believable and gets a bit carried away. The illustrations are also very bright, bold and a bit gaudy. I suspect in keeping with the circus theme. Children will enjoy the book and any "Dr. Seuss" book from the sixties is better than the current batch being published but I do prefer Farley's first book for this series. Out of print, of course, and not likely not to be re-printed.
September 28, 2025
So, I have read three books in this Little Black Pony series so far and they are all different in some way.
I question whether its the same child in each one. The reading levels are definitely different. The one I just read was a beginning reader but a chapter book this book is definitely an early reader but closer to what the old Dick and Jane books were like.
I liked the illustrations very much but I am not sure that I liked the entire storyline. I love circus themed books but this circus didn't seem to be very good people. First they laughed at them and then it seemed like they were using the pony without asking permission from its owner and like they might take him from the boy. Of course in the end that didn't happen and the pony rushed back to his boy and they ran away from the circus people.
I question whether its the same child in each one. The reading levels are definitely different. The one I just read was a beginning reader but a chapter book this book is definitely an early reader but closer to what the old Dick and Jane books were like.
I liked the illustrations very much but I am not sure that I liked the entire storyline. I love circus themed books but this circus didn't seem to be very good people. First they laughed at them and then it seemed like they were using the pony without asking permission from its owner and like they might take him from the boy. Of course in the end that didn't happen and the pony rushed back to his boy and they ran away from the circus people.
May 17, 2016
My favorite book as a young child. My granddaughter is now reading it to me. The book is about the love between a boy and his horse. Views on circuses have changed greatly over the decades so I can't see it being a favorite for readers anymore.
January 20, 2017
I don't know about this one. It has teachable moments, but not topics you totally want to discuss with your 4 year old. Also it highlights the downfalls of the circus business and they never get in trouble.
January 8, 2013
Read this to my 2 year old granddaughter today. She enjoyed it.
September 24, 2017
Very good kid's book. It is a nice change from reading Madeleine over and over.
October 11, 2012
Annalise used this while learning to read. =D
September 27, 2013
Little Black shows he can concur fear and learn new tricks at the circus.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews