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Follyfoot Series: This hugely popular series began with Cobblers Dream and Follyfoot. The idea was then turned into a TV series of the same name and the author wrote the other books to follow the adventures of the characters. As to be expected from a writer of Ms. Dicken's calibre, they are extremely accomplished novels which explore deeper issues than the majority of pony books. They are particularly suitable for older children and adult readers as many of the characters are adults. The series centres around The Follyfoot Home of Rest for Horses, a horse sanctuary where mistreated and unwanted horses and ponies are rescued and rehabilitated. The main characters are Dora who works there and the younger Callie, although there is a cast of many other disparate characters!
PONYMAD SERIES RATING: GOLD CUP FOR OUTSTANDING READ
1) COBBLER'S DREAM aka NEW ARRIVAL AT FOLLYFOOT (MICHAEL JOSEPH 1963?) Reprinted as a Book Club edition. Reprinted a number of times in paperback. Published in the USA in 1963 by Coward McCann. Reprinted by Mammoth in 1983 as NEW ARRIVAL AT FOLLYFOOT EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Book Club edition, 1960s Penguin paperback, 1970s penguin paperback, USA edition, Mammoth edition. SUMMARY: Groom Steve rescues the ill-treated Cobbler's Dream, a showjumper who has been almost blinded by the vicious girl who owned him. Now out of a job he winds up at the Follyfoot Home of Rest for horses where he meets Dora, the dedicated girl who works there, along with a cast of other eccentric characters who seem almost as troubled as their charges.
2) FOLLYFOOT (HEINEMANN 1971) Reprinted a number of times in paperback. Most recent edition is a paperback published by Andersen in 2010 - this edition still in print. EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Piccolo paperback, unknown edition, Andersen 2010 paperback. SUMMARY: Follyfoot becomes involved in a feud with the Hammond family when they expose them as ill-treating their race horses. A newcomer called Mac arrives to work at the farm and spawns a mystery.
3) DORA AT FOLLYFOOT (HEINEMANN 1972) Reprinted a number of times in paperback. Most recent edition is a paperback published by Andersen in 2011 - this edition still in print. EDITIONS PICTURED: Piccolo paperback. Heinemann paperback, Mammoth paperback, Andersen 2011 paperback SUMMARY: Dora buys an ill-treated pony but she needs to make some cash to pay back the money for him. So she enters the Moonlight Pony Steeplechase...
4) THE HORSES OF FOLLYFOOT (HEINEMANN 1975) Reprinted a number of times in paperback. Most recent edition is a paperback published by Andersen in 2011 - this edition still in print. EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Piccolo paperback, Heinemann paperback, Anderson 2012 paperback. SUMMARY: Dora returns from a break in America, bringing back a horse called Robin with her. But when the other horses at the stables fall ill it seems she may have brought the disease with her too!
5) STRANGER AT FOLLYFOOT (HEINEMANN 1976) Reprinted in paperback a number of times. EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Piccolo paperback, Heinemann paperback, Mammoth paperback. SUMMARY: A mysterious stranger and her pony arrive at Follyfoot and trouble begins to brew.
Other Follyfoot Titles:
FOLLYFOOT FARM (HEINEMANN 1973) 2 in 1 edition containing Follyfoot and Dora at Follyfoot
THE FOLLYFOOT COLLECTION (DEAN 1991) Omnibus edition containing all the books in the Follyfoot series, except for Cobbler's Dream
FOLLYFOOT PONY QUIZ BOOK (By Christine Pullein-Thompson) (PICCOLO PB 1974) SUMMARY: Does what it says on the tin so to speak! A book full of quizzes relating to the series.
FOLLYFOOT ANNUALS There were also a number of annuals published to tie in with the TV show. There is a separate web-page devoted to them within the Pony Annuals section of this website. Please click here to visit the Follyfoot annuals page.
Collectors Info: Mainly seen in paperback form, which are easy to find in the UK. There are, as can be seen from above, a lot of editions, including one book with two different titles and omnibus edition, so make sure you do not buy duplicates! First editions are quite rare. Although as far as I know only one was published in America, the books are also reasonably easy to find in the USA Harder (but not impossible) in Australia. There were a number of foreign language editions published, I am not sure of the exact details however. 3 of the series have recently been reprinted in paperback by Anderosn and are in print at the moment. More books in the series are to follow in these new editions.
The Follyfoot Quiz book is fairly easy to find in the UK, although not as common as the Follyfoot titles themselves. It is hard to find elsewhere.
The annuals are still reasonably easy to find in the UK, price can vary a lot so worth shopping around. They are however a lot harder to track down elsewhere.
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