Review: Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies by Christian Trimmer, Illustrated by Jessie Sima

SNOW PONY AND THE SEVEN MINIATURE PONIES

by Christian Trimmer

Illustrated by Jessie Sima

Simon & Schuster

Picture Book

ages 4 to 7

48 pages

COMING...

TOMORROW
AUGUST 21st, 2018!!!

From Christian Trimmer and bestselling illustrator Jessie Sima comes an adorable and imaginative twist on the tale of Snow White…with lots more ponies!

Sweet Snow Pony is loved by all for her beautiful coat as white as snow and her mane as black as ebony. Children come to her farm from all over just to have her braid their hair and teach them line dancing.

But not everyone loves Snow Pony. Jealous Queenie hatches an evil plan to make Snow Pony run away from the stable by planting a trail of apples into the woods and before long Snow Pony is lost! Full of delicious apples but all alone in the woods, Snow Pony stumbles upon the home of seven miniature ponies. The mini-ponies couldn’t be cuter, especially with Snow Pony’s braids, but they don’t have quite the same moves as the kids back on the farm.

Will her new friends help her find her way home? Or will the evil Queenie get her way?

MY TIDBITS

With sweet ponies and giggles sliding constantly into the story, this is a cute retelling of Snow White.

Snow Pony has a coat of white and a mane of black—a beautiful pony. But Queenie, another pony in the stall, is jealous and leads Snow Pony deep into the forest with a trail of apples. But Snow Pony mustn't fear because she runs into a stable with seven miniature ponies, who take her in. Still, Snow Pony has left friends behind and would like to return to her stall.

This is a story to make horse and pony lovers' hearts pitter-patter. There are wonderful ponies on each and every page, and the seven miniature ones are simply fuzzy and sweet. While the original story isn't hard to find in the plot, there are many new elements which make this a refreshing tale with little surprises along the way. What really catches the eye, however, are the goofy comments sprinkled in. The author and illustrator added a spice of humor, keeping the tale very light hearted. These jokes won't only make young listeners smile but also the older, adult readers will chuckle a few times. The last page with the villain's demise does take a slight morbid twist, one that only adults will understand, but the author and illustrator glide it off on the very last page to a nicer, happier ending. 

The illustrations are bright, cheerful and add just as much fun as the text itself. Young listeners are sure to enjoy flipping through the tale all on their own and enjoying the cute ponies and their antics again and again.

This is a fun retelling, which packs a lot of humor. Some will enjoy the quirkiness and throw-in statements, others might find them a little much. But pony lovers will find their heart's desire and want to join the stall.

And here they are...

The Author...
Christian Trimmer is a children's book editor and writer. He is the author of Simon's New Bed, Mimi and Shu in I'll Race You!, Teddy's Favorite Toy, and Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his partner. Learn more about him, his books and lots of other things at ChristianTrimmer.com.

The Illustrator...

Jessie Sima is an author/illustrator living and working in New York City. She grew up in a small town in Southern New Jersey, unaware that she was a storyteller. Once she figured it out, she told her family and friends. They took it quite well. She is the author of Not Quite Narwahl and Harriet Gets Carried Away. You can visit her at JessieSima.com.