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Book Review: Winona’s Pony Cart
Aug. 4th, 2023 08:24 amAside from the ten main books, the Betsy-Tacy series includes three spin-offs: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party, and Emily of Deep Valley. I may not have time for the latter two, but Winona’s Pony Cart is quite short so I gave it a reread. This one is definitely slighter than the other Betsy-Tacys, which generally have a bit more heft to them, but it’s still fun.
Winona Root is the youngest of three girls, a lively, tomboyish lass: “the only son I’ve got,” Winona’s father says, which is what Betsy’s father says of Betsy’s little sister Margaret, who is not tomboyish at all. Maybe it’s just a thing for a father who has only daughters to decide that one is his boy?
Winona is generally up to all sorts of mischief. Here, she invites an extra dozen children to her birthday party after her mother has already sent out the invitations. If I was giving a birthday party and a dozen extra children showed up, I would die, but Mrs. Root just sends Winona’s big sister to the store for more ice cream - and heaves a sigh of relief when one of the Syrian children brings a baklava cake as a present.
Although Winona already has a dog, she hopes and yearns for a pony. When a pony drawing a cart appears at her party, she thinks that her dreams have come true! But alas, her father only hired the pony for the party, and when Winona realizes, she collapses in heartbreak. Her parents discuss the issue: Mrs. Root is afraid that pony will only make Winona more wild and tomboyish, but Mr. Root suggests that the responsibility might settle Winona down a bit.
So Winona gets her pony, and she drives her pony cart all over town, which sounds like amazing wish fulfillment if you read this book at the proper age of about eight. Who among us didn't want to drive all over town in an adorable little pony cart!
Winona Root is the youngest of three girls, a lively, tomboyish lass: “the only son I’ve got,” Winona’s father says, which is what Betsy’s father says of Betsy’s little sister Margaret, who is not tomboyish at all. Maybe it’s just a thing for a father who has only daughters to decide that one is his boy?
Winona is generally up to all sorts of mischief. Here, she invites an extra dozen children to her birthday party after her mother has already sent out the invitations. If I was giving a birthday party and a dozen extra children showed up, I would die, but Mrs. Root just sends Winona’s big sister to the store for more ice cream - and heaves a sigh of relief when one of the Syrian children brings a baklava cake as a present.
Although Winona already has a dog, she hopes and yearns for a pony. When a pony drawing a cart appears at her party, she thinks that her dreams have come true! But alas, her father only hired the pony for the party, and when Winona realizes, she collapses in heartbreak. Her parents discuss the issue: Mrs. Root is afraid that pony will only make Winona more wild and tomboyish, but Mr. Root suggests that the responsibility might settle Winona down a bit.
So Winona gets her pony, and she drives her pony cart all over town, which sounds like amazing wish fulfillment if you read this book at the proper age of about eight. Who among us didn't want to drive all over town in an adorable little pony cart!
