21 Jan Review: The Pony and the Starling
The Pony and the Starling
Written by: Jennifer McGrath
Illustrated by: Kristina Jones
Groundwood Books, 2025
ISBN: 9781773069791 (hardcover)
9781773069807 (EPUB)
$21.99 CAN (hardcover)
$16.99 (EPUB)
36 pages
Ages: 3 to 6 years old
Review by: Grailing A
A girl and her mother watch a friendship between their pony and a starling grow from season to season–until a snowstorm looms. The girl puts the pony safely in the barn, but the starling stays outside as the weather threatens. This story explores an unlikely friendship across the seasons from afar. The art is absolutely beautiful, elevating the story and transforming it into a cozy, idyllic depiction of rural life with a focus on two animals. There are no names attributed to the characters nor the setting, giving the story a timeless feel. As it is framed by the girl and her mother’s point of view, the central part of the story –the pony and starling’s relationship–can only be viewed from a distance. It is a narrative that invites in readers’ interest and empathy into the lives of animals, domesticated and wild, which is valuable in the context of the immense environmental destruction caused by climate change. The Pony and the Starling is a good choice for public library collections.