Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

The Painted Pony is the first book in the Magical Adventures & Pony Tales series, written by Angharad Thompson Rees. Stargazer is a pony that lives on a carousel. He feels excitement during the day, as children scramble to score a ride on Stargazer’s saddle, with lights, music and colors ablaze surrounding him. But at night, when the music and the colors stop, all Stargazer can think about is the excitement that the following day brings when the crowds return. It isn’t until one child, Sebastian, climbs into Stargazer’s saddle that a telepathic conversation between the two ensues, with Sebastian suggesting that life on a carousel is boring, before telling Stargazer of the wild ponies and stallions that run free and experience the magnificence of nature. Suddenly feeling restricted, Stargazer imagines himself stretching, running, jumping and enjoying the wind in his mane. He wants it so much that it comes to be.

Angharad Thompson Rees’s tale had me emotionally conflicted initially. At first, I saw Sebastian as possibly a nasty boy who was trying to tease the carousel pony, sending him into depression, but the more the child told the wooden pony about the playfulness and excitement of horses and ponies running free in the wild, excitement and determination to be one of those ponies started taking over from Stargazer’s depression. The Painted Pony shows that if you live in a box and only know a simple and sheltered life, the only thing you have to look forward to is existing the next day. But once you discover what is outside that box – the excitement and the magnificence that you are missing out on - the more you want it.

By the time I had finished reading The Painted Pony, I was filled with an excitement I had not felt since I was a child. The desire to spread one’s wings is a natural thing, and Stargazer’s life began anew when he saw what was potentially waiting for him. It simply took a nudge in the right direction for him to attain freedom, which is the perfect beginning to an adventure series for children. I applaud the author on such a well-written tale and look forward to the next book in the Magical Adventures & Pony Tales series. I recommend The Painted Pony to young readers from 5-8 who are not afraid to delve into the imaginary world of magic and adventure.