Diana Kimpton

The Pony-Mad Princess::  Princess Ellie to the Rescue by Diana Kimpton

Usborne Books, £3.99
Rating:  «««««

 

This was a title whose cover straightaway said "Turn away. This is not for you." Whilst quite a step up from the pastel kitsch of The Secret Unicorn, it's still girly. No other word for it. Girly. And girly was what I thought I was going to get.

However, I didn't. This was my favourite of the books for the younger element, though not my daughter, Miranda’s: “OK,” was as far as she got. Maybe she felt it was a bit young for her: I didn't do very well when I tried to prise a more considered literary statement out of her. For me, it was straightforward and witty:  a well-written story of a princess trying to be normal. Ironically, given the badging of the series, Princess Ellie hates pink, which is a pity as her father is convinced all princess like pink, and so that’s what her room is. Pink from ceiling to floor. Ellie is just grateful that no one makes pink riding boots her size, or she’d have them.

These are super stories. The pony stuff is accurate; the adults normal and well-drawn, and Ellie is my kind of girl. She gets muddy, falls face first in the muck heap and wears her wellies to dinner with the Prime Minister.

If you want something to read to your young that will make you laugh too, go for this. I'd love to see what this author could do if she turned her sights on the older market.

 

Diana Kimpton is a big fan of Doctor Who, and has started riding again after rather a long break.  Her first riding lesson had rather an abrupt start when the horse vanished from underneath her very shortly after she’d got on, but things have improved since then!  The Pony-Mad Princess series is very well worth seeking out.  I loved them.  Diana is writing a new book with a heroine called Sasha, which will be a pony book.  I’m looking forward to reading it.   Diana says:

“I love writing the Pony-Mad Princess books. I can let my imagination fly and combine my passion for ponies with my delight in making people laugh. There's definitely a little bit of me in Ellie but my life was never that exciting or that much fun.”

Diana Kimpton’s website

The Pony-Mad Princess Series

12 books so far

Princess Ellie to the Rescue (2004)

Princess Ellie’s Secret (2004)

A Puzzle for Princess Ellie (2004)

(US: Princess Ellie’s Mystery)

Princess Ellie’s Starlight Adventure (2004)

Princess Ellie and the Moonlight Mystery (2004)

(US:  Princess Ellie’s Camping Trip)

A Surprise for Princess Ellie (2004)

Princess Ellie’s Holiday Adventure (2005)

(US: Princess Ellie’s Snowy Ride)

Princess Ellie and the Palace Plot (2005)

(US:  Princess Ellie Solves a Mystery)

Princess Ellie’s Christmas (2005)

(US:  Princess Ellie’s Royal Jamboree)

Princess Ellie Saves the Day (2006)

(US:  Princess Ellie Takes Charge)

Princess Ellie’s Summer Holiday (2006)

(US:  Princess Ellie’s Summer Vacation)

Princess Ellie’s Secret Treasure Hunt (2007)

 

 

NB:  In the USA and Canada, some of the books are published as The Pony Crazed Princess: some have different titles and all have different covers, but what’s inside is the same.

 

Also:

Horse Stories That Really Happened
(Scholastic, out of print)

 

Pony Puzzles
(Macmillan)