A new book

I have a small collection of books about Ocracoke. Many people who live here do. Mine is much smaller than I would like, but it grew by one book today. Pat Garber, naturalist and author of three books for adults about the island, has published a children's book about the Ocracoke ponies. A book reading and signing was held today at the school/community library to introduce it. Pat signed copies, then read her story to the gathered group of island children. They seemed to enjoy it, at least judging by their quiet attention while she was reading.

The book tells the story of a young girl named Trudy, whose grandfather owns a couple of ponies. When a foal is born, Trudy is very excited, and wonders about what to name him. She also is very curious about how the ponies came to live on Ocracoke in the first place. While contemplating these things, she falls asleep and has a dream which answers both of her questions. The story is a sweet one, and the reader learns a good deal about the ponies while enjoying it.

My favorite thing about the book is the unique illustrations. Some of them are drawings, but others are historic photographs of the Ocracoke ponies, including the annual penning, held for many years on the 4th of July, and the mounted Boy Scout troop, which was the only one in the nation. Both the illustrations and the photos are rendered in lovely sepia tones, giving the book a very cohesive feeling. The cover illustration is a lovely photo of 6 ponies walking in the water at the edge of Silver Lake, which Pat color tinted.

I bought two copies: one to keep, and one for our grandchildren John-John, Jordan and Jacob, who love the Ocracoke ponies and each adopted one the last time they were here to visit. All proceeds from the sales of the book go to the Ocracoke Preservation Society, and you can order it online at their website (http://www.ocracokepreservation.org).