The Pony and the Starling
- Publisher
- Groundwood Books Ltd
- Initial publish date
- Feb 2025
- Category
- Horses, Farm & Ranch Life, Birds
- Recommended Age
- 3 to 6
- Recommended Grade
- p to 1
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781773069807
- Publish Date
- Feb 2025
- List Price
- $10.99
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781773069791
- Publish Date
- Feb 2025
- List Price
- $21.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
A girl and her mother watch an unusual friendship develop between a solitary starling and a lonely pony.
The gray pony lives in the green pasture beside the barn. One day, the girl and her mother see a flock of starlings wheel over the field. When the flock moves on, one bird remains behind — perched on the fence, near the pony.
As summer moves into autumn, the girl watches as the pony and the starling become constant companions, sharing grain, water and shade. When the days get colder, the girl begins to wonder — what will happen when winter arrives? A blizzard blows in … and the starling vanishes. Is this the end of a special friendship? And what will the spring bring?
The Pony and the Starling is a gentle story of changing seasons and an unlikely but enduring friendship.
Key Text Features
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
About the authors
Jennifer McGrath is a professional writer and awardwinning children's author from Moncton, New Brunswick. Her two Middle Grade adventure books, Chocolate River Rescue and White Cave Escape, are popular with teachers and students alike. Jennifer is known for her enthusiastic storytelling style, her fascination with fairytales, and her fondness for sparkly things. She loves animals (especially dogs and ponies), the outdoors, and curling up in front of the fire with a good book.
Jennifer McGrath's profile page
KRISTINA JONES is a freelance artist and illustrator whose first book, The Amazing African Animal Alphabet, was nominated for an IBBY SA Picture Book Illustrator Award. She has worked as a creative arts educator in both Ukraine and Eswatini, and now lives in British Columbia.
