Leah's Pony - by Elizabeth Friedrich (Paperback)

About the Book

Leah makes a sacrifice when her family is hard hit by financial problems during the dust bowl and depression of the 1930s.

Book Synopsis

Set in the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, here is a moving story that Parents Magazine calls a "poignant tale of how a little girl with a big heart saves the family farm and inspires an entire town."

Leah's pony is swift and strong. Together they ride, crossing through cornfields and over pastures, chasing cattle as they gallop under summer skies. Then one year, the corn grows no taller than a man's thumb. Locusts blacken the sky, and the earth turns to dust. Gone were the cornfields and pastures where Leah and her pony used to ride. It is the beginning of the great drought, and Leah's father faces losing the family farm. But Leah's bravely decides to act. This deeply felt story, vividly portrayed through stunning oil paintings, tells the story of a selfless young woman and her sacrifice for her family.

Review Quotes

★ "A fine example of successful historical fiction in picture book format. Leah's parents are farmers in the Great Plains of the 1930s... the oil paintings with subdued color values have great intensity, especially several that catch their subjects full-face and frozen at the peak of strong emotional reactions. Impact is enhanced by the starkness of the setting and the illustrations' stillness." -- School Library Journal, starred review

About the Author

Elizabeth Friedrich is the author of many books, including The Story of God's Love, which has sold over a half-million copies. She lives in Stratham, New Hampshire.

Michael Garland is the author and illustrator of Angel Cat, among many other titles. He lives in Patterson, New York.