The Mud Pony (Reading Rainbow Books)

This story is about a poor Indian boy that dreams of owning his own horse. He made one out of mud. He had a dream that the pony made of mud came to life. His family had to pack up and move with the tribe to find more buffalo. The boy was not around when they left but, the pony took him back to his

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family at their new location.
The pony told the boy it was Mother Earth.

I haven't ever wanted a horse this bad, but my children did. This book explains a little about the hard life of the Indians. This is a nice traditional Skidi Pawnee tale. I really think children can relate to the boy.

In the classroom, I would have the students to model clay into an animal that they would like to have. I can bake them. Then they would always remember the special animal they made themselves. They could also draw a picture and describe their animal.

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A mud pony becomes real in this Native American tale. This story reveals the cultural concept of mother earth and the power the earth has. Pen and ink drawing with watercolor are used. Would be a good book to accompany a clay sculpture lesson. As well, this story could be taken outdoors in the

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garden to discuss in what ways we are connected to the earth, and what plants and such Native Americans hold sacred.

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A poor young Pawnee boy, longing to have a horse of his own, shapes one out of the mud he finds along the creek, and is surprised to discover - one terrible day when he is left behind by his tribe - that it has come to life! Now, guided by his 'mud pony,' who speaks to him in his dreams, and is a

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gift from Mother Earth, the boy catches up to his people, going on to do great things, as a warrior and a chief.

Taken from the work of George A. Dorsey, a late 19th and early 20th-century ethnographer, this tale is described as an "ancient boy-hero tale" of the Skidi band of the Pawnee. The illustrations by Navajo artist Shonto Begay - whose work can also be found in Ma'ii and Cousin Horned Toad: A Traditional Navajo Story and The Magic Of Spider Woman - are just lovely, perfectly capturing the dreamlike quality of the boy's extraordinary experiences with his 'mud pony.' Recommended to all young readers who enjoy folktales, or love horses, and to all fans of Shonto Begay's artwork!

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This book kind of reminds me of the Footprints poem. Sometimes you have to let go & operate on faith/intuition. A story of a young Native American boy who dreams of having a pony. His dream comes true, but he gets separated from his family. The horse (who is part of Mother Earth) helps the boy find

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his family. The boy grows up to become the Chief of his people, but the horse has to return to Mother Earth. However, the book ends with him hearing the voice of the horse/Mother Earth saying, "I am here, your Mother Earth. You are not alone!"

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The genre of this book is legend. A young native American boy wished and longed for a horse, like all the other boys in his tribe. He built one out of mud, and the next day, Mother Earth made it alive. The mud horse helped the boy become a great and brave warrior, leading his people to victory

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against other tribes. One day, he even became a great chief himself. That is when Mother Earth wished to have the horse back, and the chief uncovered the mud horse from under the blanket, and the horse was gone. I would use this book in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom to teach what a legend or folktale is.

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