A Little Horse called Pancakes and the Beach Rescue
Candice Noakes-Dobson and Wendy Paterson
Burnet Media
Review: Karen Watkins
Annabel, Anna B for short, and shaggy miniature horse, Pancakes, return for a heart-warming adventure in this third book in the series.
They unexpectedly find themselves fighting against the tide in a beach rescue.
The story follows from the second book which ended with a devastating wildfire.
This time Anna B and Pancakes will have an adventure that includes the miraculous regeneration of nature, a brief look at natural horsemanship, and the meeting of a very talented little horse rider called Ella, which leads to an aquatic adventure.
The story is cute and cheerful, richly illustrated with all the animals that live on their farm. But there is also a deeper positive message conveying the lesson that commitment and dedication pay off in the end. It also promotes kindness to animals, one which is close to the heart of the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA) who will receive the proceeds from the sale of these books, including the branch in Brommersvlei Road, Constantia.
Sarda uses horse riding as therapy for children with disabilities, hereby helping them to build self-esteem.
The book is aimed at children aged four to eight and could be used as an early reader.
The only disappointment is that every second page is black and white.
Author Candice Noakes-Dobson lives on Sweet Valley farm with her husband and their daughter, Annabel, and all the animals that feature in the book.
Illustrator Wendy Paterson is a freelance illustrator who lives with her husband, two daughters, two cats, three rabbits, a guinea pig and a goldfish.
Other books include A Little horse called Pancakes, which introduces us to a miniature horse who nobody valued as he was too short and too fat.
The second tale, A little Horse called Pancakes and the Big Mountain Fire, is based on real events that took place during the devastating 2015 wildfires in Cape Town.
