The Silver Horse Switch

By Alison Lester and Roland Harvey

“Harvey’s ink and watercolor pictures cheerily depict life in the bush and capture the personalities of the heroines and their equine friends.” —Publishers Weekly
 
Bonnie and Sam are best friends who love horses. They befriend the ponies and horses in their Australian town except for one, Drover, who used to be wild. All she dreams about is getting back to the mountains to be free. One evening, when a wild, mountain horse who could be Drover’s twin comes face to face with the cantankerous, corralled Drover, both horses get their chance at a new life. Illustrated with lively watercolor throughout, this endearing tale is a sure hit.
 
“Lighthearted easy readers with Harvey’s appealing watercolor illustrations, these books have instant charm . . . The horses are as vivid and complex as the deftly drawn human characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452111360

Alison Lester

Alison Lester is one of Australia's most popular author-illustrators. She has written and illustrated many picture books for children, including the multi-award-winning, bestselling Are We There Yet?. Alison was named Australia's first joint Children's Laureate for 2012-13.

Book preview

BONNIE AND SAM

Bonnie and Sam knew all the horses and ponies in Currawong Creek. They were horse crazy!

Sam’s real name was Samantha. She lived with her dad, Bill, in an old house that overlooked the creek. Bill Cooper was the local policeman.

Sam Bonnie Pants

Bonnie-Bon for short-lived just outside town on a huge farm called Peppermint Plain. Bon’s parents weren’t interested in horses, even though Peppermint Plain was the perfect place for riding. Her mom, Woo, was a painter, always busy in her studio. Her dad, Chester, loved riding around the farm on his motorbike.

But Bonnie and Sam lived for horses.

Bonnie could talk a special horse language that she was sure they understood.

Sam was strong and horsey. She could tell, just by looking at a horse, if it had a stone in its hoof or needed a drink.

Sam’s dog, Pants, followed her everywhere. Pants was short for Smartie Pants, because she thought she knew everything.

THE HORSES AND PONIES OF CURRAWONG CREEK

Bonnie and Sam didn’t have a horse of their own, but they managed to ride nearly every day.

Their favorite horse was Whale, who belonged to Bon’s Aunty Birdy. Whale was huge. He was long and wide and tall. He was so broad that Bonnie and Sam could sit face-to-face and play poker on his back.

Whale shared his paddock with Bella, a tiny skewbald pony whose mane came down to her knees. When Sam sat on Bella, she could reach the ground with both big toes. Bella had been Bonnie’s first pony, but the girls were far too big to ride her now. Instead, they spent hours grooming her and braiding her mane.

Then there was Biscuit, the most neglected horse in Currawong Creek. Wally Webster, the stock agent, hated horses but he needed poor Biscuit for his stock work. If Bonnie