I look at their long multi-layered winter coats and admire nature’s clever design. None of these ponies lost weight, shivered or actually got wet in the long Shetland winter. The many layers of fur trap the warm air between their skin and the snow acts as insulation. The ponies instinctively turn their bums into the wind and bad weather. The Icelandic horses do it too. It is just something they know to how to do. A walker, unsuspecting, freezes mid-stride as a herd of ponies thunders past. They are shortly followed by a gaggle of shouting farmers atop quad bikes—the usual peace and calm of the hills momentarily shattered. NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (National Council for Social Studies/Children's Book Council) When we got into our sleeping-bags, if we were fortunate, we became warm enough during the night to thaw the ice: part remained in our clothes, part passed into the skins of the bags … and soon both were sheets of armour-plate'.

Wonder is itself a difficult emotion to capture, but I think that Cotten and Steptoe do a stand-up job of working the book in that direction. For any kid that has celebrated in a warm summer rain, or has wanted to, this is a good little book. For younger readers there are lots of slightly difficult words as well as the challenging name of Charmaine. As such I would strongly imply if they are reading this book for the first time that there be an adult who can help with the pronunciations of those words that may cause them challenge.Apsley Cherry-Garrad described the sleeping bags in his book 'The worst journey in the world', first published in 1922: Scott and his team used sleeping bags made of reindeer fur. This worked well when the men were at base camp and conditions were dry. However, if the sleeping bags got wet or iced up, they soon became stiff and heavy to carry. With captive horses we’re basically applying lots of little acute stress events throughout their lives by moving them in and out of different social groups, by the way we house them in isolation which is very different to the lifestyle of the wild ancestors of today’s horses,” Shultz said. Cotten displays a masterful control of language, using sound effects within the lines to create additonal appeal. . . the understated appeal of the cleverly crafted text. . .will capture the attention of young listeners. Libraries will want to add a copy or two to their counting-book collections."

Amongst most other semi-feral pony populations there is some form of management taking place, be that selective breeding, contraceptives, worming or supplemental feeding during winter—all of which affect the ponies’ behavior and biology. Apart from the removal of colts and those too weak to survive the winter, the Carneddau ponies are left to their own devices. The ponies’ unique situation, where they are allowed to behave like a wild population yet are easily accessible, makes them a valuable scientific resource. Social stressThe text is laced with dialogue featuring homey turns of phrase, revealing Jesse's passion for stories and capturing the warmth between the characters. Naive folk-art-style paintings in bright gouache reflect Jesse's hopeful, eager nature. Although simply rendered, the facial expressions speak volumes. ...Jesse's pride of ownership and the closing scene of Jesse writing his name and the year in his very first book will resonate with book lovers of all ages.