The Sea Pony

Starred review from June 1, 2016
Lucky Piper Green has a Fairy Tree in her front yard that sometimes yields up treasures--not always what she wants, but what she needs. In this third title in a charming series set on an island off the coast of Maine, the white second-grader finds a loud bosun's whistle in the hole in the trunk of her favorite red maple tree. She would have much preferred a pony, but when her father takes her out to help on his lobster boat, she discovers the whistle attracts a seal. Perhaps she could train it to be a sea pony? Piper is a totally convincing second-grader, full of enthusiasm and grand, but not always realistic, plans. Her narration is a believable stream of consciousness, veering from one topic to another in a way that will be familiar to her readers. Her island home will be less familiar to many of them, and Potter continues to provide interesting details. Serving as the sternman on her father's boat, Piper stuffs dead fish into bait bags and imagines the treasures in lobster traps: "pinchy crabs or starfish or prickly sea urchins or funny-looking sea cucumbers." She does come to realize that the seal is a wild animal and not an appropriate pet, but her wish comes true in a more appropriate way. Cheerful line drawings add appeal. Completely satisfying. We wish for more. (Fiction. 6-9)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 1-3-When Piper's fairy tree brings her a bosun's whistle (a whistle used to signal crew on a ship), she wonders what to do with it. Can it help her find the family's skiff, which was blown out to see during a wicked bad gullywhumper (a bad storm)? It turns out, it can, when Piper meets a seal that seems to respond to the whistle and it leads her and her dad to where the skiff was stranded. The standard spunky girl getting into scrapes storyline is elevated by the unique northeastern island setting and lobster fishing plotline. Cute, expressive black-and-white illustrations add to the appeal of this sweet story. Fans of like Louise Trapeze or Amber Brown may enjoy this.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 15, 2015
Second-grade is not off to a good start for Piper Green: her new teacher has a no-nonsense streak, and Piper badly misses her older brother, who is attending high school on the mainland (the Greens live on a tiny Maine island). Skillfully blending humor, pathos, and warmth with an atmospheric setting, Potter has created an honest, empathic slice-of-life story, laced with a touch of magic. Piper has a winning combination of stubbornness, loyalty, and independence, which Leng ably portrays in her loosely inked, gently humorous artwork. Simultaneously available: Too Much Good Luck. Ages 7–9. Author’s agent: Alice Tasman, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.