Follow along as BB, the Connemara Pony, learns about riding and eventing competition as a youngster. When he goes to live with Sue, he gets a new big brother, Cody. Together, they have a busy life on the farm and go on rides in fun places. Sue and BB tackle a variety of competitions as a team, often winning blue ribbons, because BB is The Wonder Pony and always tries to do his best.
Winthrop educator, entrepreneur, and ski coach Linda Kimbrell is familiar with collaborative processes. But she certainly never imagined herself working on publication of a children’s book. Linda has nonetheless found herself on the publishing end of The Adventures of BB, the Wonder Pony, a delightful tale written from the perspective of a competitive Connemara pony named Bantry Bay’s Erin, or BB for short.
“When Linda first proposed that I write a children’s book about my pony,” says Linda’s sister Sue Perry, “I told her that it was a crazy idea.” Sue’s veterinary career as a large animal X-ray technician and equine massage therapist led to an eventual gig as a columnist for The Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar—writing “Stable Solutions” monthly—but she never envisioned herself as a children’s book author. Her ribbon-winning relationship with the real-life BB, and encouragement from sister Linda, however, changed all that.
Linda, who founded Winthrop Mountain Sports with husband Tom in 1980, saw an opportunity in Sue’s passion. “I’m not sure if this project really feels like one of my children,” she says. “But this book was definitely a collaborative process. I don’t see how one person could ever do it on their own.
“Sue and our young illustrator, Thea Han,” Linda continues, “were the creativity and I was the logistics, along with Methow Press.” The experience was not unlike her collaborations teaching at the Methow Valley Community School or coaching up athletes with the Methow Valley Nordic Team, if on a smaller scale.
“Working with Methow Press was really a dream come true for us,” she says. “Neither Sue nor I knew a thing about publishing a book. When I met Greg Wright, I knew our project was in good hands. Not only does he know the ins and outs of publishing, he also understand the needs of a new author. He guided us through the process expertly.”
“It was wonderful to hold the finished book in my hands for the first time,” adds Sue. “I hope young horse lovers enjoy hearing about life from BB’s point of view!”
Buy now at Amazon.com. All proceeds from the sale of this book accrue directly to the author!
