Noni the Pony

by Alison Lester, Alison Lester (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Noni, a pony who’s as zippy and fun as she is thoughtful and kind.

Introducing Noni, the friendliest, funniest, and friskiest pony you’ll ever meet! When she’s not racing and chasing with her best pals Dave Dog and Coco the Cat, she’s busy making sure they feel cozy and loved. Because Noni isn’t just heaps of fun—she’s a great friend, too.

With its jaunty rhyme and bright, bold illustrations, this delightful picture book is sure to capture the imaginations and hearts of readers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442459595
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	10/30/2012
Series:	Noni the Pony Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	858,535
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Alison Lester has written and illustrated numerous children’s books. She has won many awards in her native Australia, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book Award. Over her twenty-one year career she has produced such Australian classics as the Clive Eats Alligators series, Magic Beach, Imagine, and My Farm, and recently she has also started writing novels, including The Quicksand Pony and the Bonnie and Sam series. In 2011, she was named the Australian Children’s Laureate.

Editorial Reviews

The title character of this rhyming story is a picture perfect Equus who love to frolic with her friends. In addition to Noni the Pony, Alison Lester's romp features his friends Dave Dog and Coco the Cat; and a barnyard full of other animals. Noni isn't just frisky; he's also thoughtful: When his best buds become frightened of thunder, he consoles and protects them. With its cute illustrations and lilting rhymes, this picture book makes a fine slumber time accompaniment.

…an unabashedly sweet and simple tale about a happy pony…related in laid-back couplets that work perfectly for young children…Lester's cheerful illustrations nicely match the text, yet offer welcome surprises.

The New York Times - Pamela Paul

It’s the most adorable title to come down the pike in a long time—and it delivers on every page, even if it’s little more than a catalogue of the eponymous character’s sunny niceness. Noni, a plump, orange-dappled darling, is “Gentle and kind,/ and never lets anyone get left behind.” Her days are filled with frolicking, but if she gets spooked at night (“When the leaves rustle and sigh in the breeze,/ Noni thinks monsters are shaking the trees”) she has best buddies Dave Dog and Coco the Cat to provide emergency snuggle assistance. Fans of Lester (Running with the Horses) know that she’s an expert horse portraitist, but she opts for a radically streamlined approach in this outing, rendering Noni and her friends as a simple, toylike shapes with just enough details to reveal a cheerful, openhearted character: eager round eyes, a sweet little smile, and—in Noni’s case—a wavy mane and tail. There’s not a whisper of dramatic tension or narrative arc, but no matter: it’s a safe bet that readers will follow her anywhere. Ages 2–5. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"In [Alison Lester’s]…“Noni the Pony,” an unabashedly sweet and simple tale about a happy pony, her affection and easy familiarity with these four-legged favorites shine through… the target audience will appreciate its simple cadences, which allow them to predict the rhyming words and to participate in the pleasures of the story.… Lester’s cheerful illustrations nicely match the text, yet offer welcome surprises. There’s something amusing about Noni’s oversimplified movements, from her squirrel-like leap on the cover to her curled-up-like-a-kitty finale.

The New York Times

The graphic art, with its soft, round shapes and soothing, textured background colors, will appeal to small children, as will the cheery couplets. Not only does this one have potential for storytimes about friendship but it’s also suited for bedtime reading (it ends with Noni, Dave, and Coco all snuggled as one) and for sharing with the legions of kids who love, love, love horses.

Booklist

"In [Alison Lester’s]…“Noni the Pony,” an unabashedly sweet and simple tale about a happy pony, her affection and easy familiarity with these four-legged favorites shine through… the target audience will appreciate its simple cadences, which allow them to predict the rhyming words and to participate in the pleasures of the story.… Lester’s cheerful illustrations nicely match the text, yet offer welcome surprises. There’s something amusing about Noni’s oversimplified movements, from her squirrel-like leap on the cover to her curled-up-like-a-kitty finale.

The New York Times

The graphic art, with its soft, round shapes and soothing, textured background colors, will appeal to small children, as will the cheery couplets. Not only does this one have potential for storytimes about friendship but it’s also suited for bedtime reading (it ends with Noni, Dave, and Coco all snuggled as one) and for sharing with the legions of kids who love, love, love horses.

Booklist

Noni, friendly and funny, is the perfect pony for preschoolers. Like Noni herself, the light rhyme, bustling with rhythm and easy to read, is friendly and funny…. Each couplet is accompanied by Lester’s droll illustrations…. The gentle ending, with pony and friends cuddled up for bed, slows the trotting long enough— just the way a book for toddlers should end. Night-night, Noni.”

“Rhyming books that are well done are music to the ear, and this one is just that…. Lester’s illustrations are charmingly done in black outline with pencil, watercolor, and collage interiors. Simple and bold, with uncluttered backgrounds, they will attract the youngest readers, and the soothing ending will satisfy them.”

* “It’s the most adorable title to come down the pike in a long time—and it delivers on every page…. Fans of Lester (Running with the Horses) know that she’s an expert horse portraitist, but she opts for a radically streamlined approach in this outing, rendering Noni and her friends as…simple, toylike shapes with just enough details to reveal a cheerful, openhearted character: eager round eyes, a sweet little smile, and—in Noni’s case—a wavy mane and tail. There’s not a whisper of dramatic tension or narrative arc, but no matter: it’s a safe bet that readers will follow her anywhere.”

“The graphic art, with its soft, round shapes and soothing, textured background colors, will appeal to small children, as will the cheery couplets. Not only does this one have potential for storytimes about friendship but it’s also suited for bedtime reading (it ends with Noni, Dave, and Coco all snuggled as one) and for sharing with the legions of kids who love, love, love horses.”

"In [Alison Lester’s]…“Noni the Pony,” an unabashedly sweet and simple tale about a happy pony, her affection and easy familiarity with these four-legged favorites shine through… the target audience will appreciate its simple cadences, which allow them to predict the rhyming words and to participate in the pleasures of the story.… Lester’s cheerful illustrations nicely match the text, yet offer welcome surprises. There’s something amusing about Noni’s oversimplified movements, from her squirrel-like leap on the cover to her curled-up-like-a-kitty finale.

From the Publisher

The graphic art, with its soft, round shapes and soothing, textured background colors, will appeal to small children, as will the cheery couplets. Not only does this one have potential for storytimes about friendship but it’s also suited for bedtime reading (it ends with Noni, Dave, and Coco all snuggled as one) and for sharing with the legions of kids who love, love, love horses.

2012 Booklist October 15

Noni, friendly and funny, is the perfect pony for preschoolers. Like Noni herself, the light rhyme, bustling with rhythm and easy to read, is friendly and funny. Lester's art, which shows every apple, carrot, cow and hen she mentions in her text, invites new readers and horse-loving listeners to join Noni and her best friends, Dave Dog and Coco the Cat, in their play. Each couplet is accompanied by Lester's droll illustrations. The animals appear humorously flat, almost as if Lester cut them out and glued them in by hand. The movements are exaggerated and at times remarkably unhorselike. The cover is especially amusing, showing Noni doing a split in midair. "They ambush each other and play hide-and-seek, / racing and chasing and jumping the creek," is illustrated with arrows and dotted lines to show the movement of the animal friends, while subtle eye movements let the reader know exactly who is hiding from whom. The layout, just one couplet per spread with every word illustrated, is perfect for anxious youngsters who want to prance through stories over and over again but not linger too long on any page. The gentle ending, with pony and friends cuddled up for bed, slows the trotting long enough-- just the way a book for toddlers should end. Night-night, Noni. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews