LEAH'S PONY

Friedrich (The Story of God's Love, 1985, not reviewed, etc.) tells a moving story of family love and gives a reminder of what matters. Leah is a young girl living in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. When times were better, her father had given her ``the finest pony in the county.'' Now the bank is about to auction off the entire farm, including the tractor, without which her family's future on the land is impossible. On the day of the auction, Leah sells her pony and bids the money—a dollar—on the tractor. No one in the close-knit community tops her bid, and she secures the vehicle. The neighbors bid—a nickel for a cow, a quarter for a plow—settling the debt and returning the goods to Leah's family. Capturing these moments are Garland's beautiful oil paintings. This is a poignant tale of a difficult time in US history; the sentiments are underplayed, rendering them more powerful than if they'd been milked for effect. An afterword places the story's events historically. (Picture book. 6-9)