BLACK GOLD

By: Marguerite Henry

        Illustrated By: Wesley Dennis

     Copyright: 1957, Seventh Printing (1966)

Published By: Rand McNally & Company

This 173 paged hard cover horse lovers book is in good overall condition, but does have small ink marks in the margins of page 172 (not affecting text). This is a former library book with a library envelope affixed to last page, and sticker on spine.

This will make a fantastic book for the horse lover or classic book collector.

About Author:

Marguerite Henry (1902-1997) is one of the best-known writers of animal stories for children. Her books continue to be widely read, and her legacy of exciting, touching stories will long be remembered.

Marguerite Henry was born Marguerite Breithaupt on April 13, 1902, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was the youngest of five children of Louis Breithaupt and Anna (Kaurup) Breithaupt. Her father owned a publishing business. Although Henry grew up in a home without any pets, she developed an early love for animals. She also took a keen interest in books and writing. She sold her first magazine article at the age of eleven, and worked for a time repairing books at the local library.

After graduation from Riverside High School in Milwaukee, Henry attended the Milwaukee State Teachers College and the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. On May 5, 1923, at the age of 21, she married Sidney Crocker Henry, a sales manager (he died in 1987).

Henry's writing career started rather slowly. She sold a few articles to the Saturday Evening Post and wrote several minor stories and information books for children. Her first full-length book, published in 1940, was titled Auno and Tauno: A Story of Finland. It was inspired by two Finnish friends who recounted their childhood experiences to her. This was followed by several other children's books, including Dilly Dally Sally (1940), Geraldine Belinda (1942), and Their First Igloo on Baffin Island (with Barbara True, 1943). The 16-volume "Pictured Geographies" series, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, was published in 1941 and 1946. Some of the titles included Alaska in Stories and Pictures (1941), Canada in Stories and Pictures (1941), Mexico in Stories and Pictures (1941), and Australia in Stories and Pictures (1946).

Henry's first book to win critical acclaim was Justin Morgan Had a Horse, published in 1945. The story is set in the late eighteenth century and tells the history of the Morgan horse, beginning with its founding sire in rural Vermont. After finishing the story, Henry went to the local library and scanned children's books, looking for the right illustrator. When she happened upon Flip, a book written and illustrated by Wesley Dennis, she knew she had found the right person to draw for her stories. She sent a copy of Justin Morgan to Dennis. When they met, according to Something About the Author, Wesley said, "I'm dying to do the book and I don't care whether I get paid for it." Thus began a long and successful partnership between Henry and Dennis, during which time they produced more than 20 books.

A second endeavor for Henry and Dennis, Misty of Chincoteague (1947), became one of their most popular and enduring works. Like most of Henry's books, the story is based on fact. Every year the residents of Chincoteague Island, off the coast of Virginia, round up wild horses on nearby Assateague Island and auction them off. Henry's story is about two children who long to own one of these wild ponies. Their dream horse is a mare called the "Phantom," who has resisted capture during the past two round-ups. Because the mare has a newborn foal, she becomes slower than usual. As a result, one of the children is able to catch her in his first year as a "roundup man." The mare becomes tame enough to win a race, but later escapes to her home island, leaving the children with her foal, Misty.

Misty was a real filly whom Henry spotted during Pony Penning Day at Chincoteague. The pony lived with Henry for several years, while her book was being written. Eventually Misty was sent back to the Beebe Ranch for breeding. After publication of the book, the pony became an instant celebrity and was even invited to a conference of the American Library Association. Later, a movie was made about her life. When her first colt needed a name, thousands of children wrote to Henry with suggestions. The popularity of Misty seemed to be universal. Misty of Chincoteague was named a Newbery Honor Book and won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1961. Miriam E. Wilt, in Elementary English, called Misty "one of the finest horse stories ever written."

Other books based on Misty and the Chincoteague ponies followed, including Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague (1949), Stormy, Misty's Foal (1963), and Misty's Twilight (1992), all illustrated by Dennis. In 1990, the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation, Inc., was formed with the help of Henry. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving the legend of the Assateague ponies. The foundation's goals include purchasing parts of the land where the original Misty and Stormy were raised and establishing a museum on the Island of Chincoteague.

Fantastic Vintage gift for the horse lover or vintage book collector in your life!!!!!

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