And I therefore very much appreciate not only that the parents are saying a rather categorical “no” to their daughter’s requests (and also clearly explaining to her the reasons why) but that the little girl also accepts those reasons, that she is totally willing to wait, but to then make this all more tolerable for herself by having a pretend pony as kind of an imaginary playmate. Because well and indeed, owning a pony is most definitely rather expensive and requires sufficient space where that pony will be living, will be residing. I sometimes do have to wonder a bit if some young readers (or listeners) might in fact end up being and feeling just a trifle disappointed that the little girl, that the young first person narrator of Susan Jeffers’ 2002 picture book My Pony never does end up actually being able to get, to obtain her desired and hoped for pony, that in My Pony, the little girl’s imaginary and fantastical dream voyage into a magical and delightful realm filled with all kinds of equines both wild and not so wild (and of course astride her very own pony, with a combination of lyrical text and equally magical accompanying artwork) is actually all that she can at present hope for, and furthermore that the young girl is also more than willing to patiently wait (and to rely on dreaming and on using her imagination with regard to owning and having adventures with a pony) until her family in the future might have enough money and a large enough property for buying, for owning a pony.īut for me personally, that in My Pony, there is no ending of actual pony ownership for the little girl, this is in my humble opinion both much more realistic and also much more positive than the opposite scenario, than My Pony ending with the young narrator returning from her imaginative ride on Silver and then finding for example that her parents have suddenly changed their minds and will be purchasing a pony for her.

My Pony by Susan Jeffers