THE PONY AND THE STARLING

A girl and her mother watch an unusual friendship develop between a solitary starling and a lonely pony. The gray pony lives in the green pasture beside the barn. One day, the girl and her mother see a flock of starlings wheel over the field. When the flock moves on, one bird remains behind — perched on the fence, near the pony. As summer moves into autumn, the girl watches as the pony and the starling become constant companions, sharing grain, water and shade. When the days get colder, the girl begins to wonder — what will happen when winter arrives? A blizzard blows in … and the starling vanishes. Is this the end of a special friendship? And what will the spring bring?The Pony and the Starling is a gentle story of changing seasons and an unlikely but enduring friendship. Key Text FeaturesillustrationsCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.