Noni the Pony Rescues a Joey (Noni the Pony #3)

PreS-K The star of Noni the Pony and Noni the Pony Goes to the Beach is back with her dear friends Dave Dog and Coco the Cat. They are off together for a playful day of roaming around when they meet a wallaby joey who is clearly lost and alone. Noni and her pals are ready to help and make an adventure out of it. They begin to ask their friends—Koala, Wombat, Platypus, Emu, Echidna, Possum, Goanna, and Quoll—but no one is much help at all. The rhyming text forces readers to pick up speed, which allows for great anticipation. What will happen to the poor joey if they cannot find his parents? Noni invites him to stay with her but just as the friends get back to their home by the bay, "who do they see in the twilight's dim glow?/The wallaby family, looking for Joe!" The animals celebrate the reunion. Young children will relate to the themes of friendship and feeling scared, along with the lesson of staying close by your family. The detailed illustrations, which include black outlined drawings with textured backgrounds, bring all of the animals to life and are perfect for the preschool age group as they will learn what some unfamiliar animals look like. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for a picture book collection for young children. This will make for a great read-aloud on the topics of animals, friendship, or feelings and is a soothing bedtime story.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY