Barbara Willard (1909-1994)

British author. Born in Brighton in 1909. As the daughter of a Shakespearian actor, language and literature were important parts of her life from an early age. She was in fact an actress herself before becoming a very popular and prolific adult and children's author. She was probably best known for her 'Mantlemass' series of historical children's novels. History was an important theme in her stories, as were animals.
The Penny Pony is her only novel featuring a pony theme however. She also wrote an introduction to the autobiography of National Velvet author Enid Bagnold.

Horse & Pony Books:

THE PENNY PONY
(HAMISH HAMILTON 1961)
ILLUSTRATED BY JULIETTE PALMER
Reprinted in hardback.
Reprinted in paperback a number of times by Puffin.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Puffin paperback edition.
SUMMARY: Charming younger children's story. Cathy and Roger long for their own pony. When they find an old  almost life-sized toy pony and cart in a junk shop they buy it for a penny and name him Prince. The children, especially Cathy, become attached to Prince, seeing him as a substitute for a real live animal. So when they come back from a holiday to find he has disappeared they are distraught…
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
The paperback is quite easy to find in the UK Hardbacks and especially the first edition are a lot harder, but are usually reasonably priced. The book can also be found outside of the UK, but is a lot rarer and a little more expensive.