Helen Cresswell (1934-2005)

Popular and very prolific British author. Born in Nottingham in 1934. Books began to play a very important part in her life from an early age when she had to spend a year in hospital with spinal problems and spent much of the time reading voraciously. She also enjoyed writing her own poems and stories as a child. She graduated from Kings College, London, with an English degree and worked briefly as a teacher, literary assistant and fashion buyer before becoming a full time author. Over the years she has written well over 100 children's books in a wide variety of genres. She is also well known for her scripts adapting children's classics for TV. Many classic children's dramas such as Five Children and It and The Demon Headmaster. Her own Lizzie Dripping series about a girl and a witch (which will be fondly remembered by all of us of a certain age!) was also adapted into a hit TV drama in the 1970s.

Although Helen was not a pony book author, she did write a popular fantasy story about a magical little horse from the sea. She also seems to like donkeys, as apart from appearing in this pony story, they are featured in two more of her books.


(Source: Guardian & Independant obituaries)

Pony Books:

THE WHITE SEA HORSE (Original title)
aka THE LITTLE SEA HORSE
aka THE LITTLE SEA PONY (USA)
(OLIVER & BOYD 1964)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBIN JAQUES
Reprinted in hardback by original publisher in the 1960s.
Reprinted in paperback by Hodder in 1995 when it was re-titled THE LITTLE SEA HORSE and with different illustrations by Robin Cockroft.
Also published in the USA. First US edition was by Lippincott in 1964. Also published in America by Dell in paperback and most recently by Harper Trophy in 1997 when it was re-titled THE LITTLE SEA PONY.
It was also published with two other short novels by the author in an omnibus edition (see below).

SUMMARY: Younger reader's fantasy story. One day Molly's fisherman father brings her back an amazing catch from the sea: a miniature magical white horse! They plan to give the tired and hungry creature food and rest then take him back to his sea home. But then the other villagers find out about the horse and want to capture him!

THE WHITE SEA HORSE AND OTHER STORIES OF THE SEA (Original title)
aka THE WHITE SEA HORSE AND OTHER SEA MAGIC
(CHATTO & WINDUS 1972)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBIN JAQUES
Reprinted in paperback by Target Books in 1975 when it was re-titled.
SUMMARY: The story THE WHITE SEA HORSE (see above) plus two other sea stories (non-pony) by the author: A Tide for the Captain and The Sea Piper.


PIETRO AND THE MULE (Original title)
aka THE LITTLE GREY DONKEY
(OLIVER & BOYD 1965)
ILLUSTRATED BY MAUREEN ECKERSLEY
Reprinted in paperback by Hodder in 1998 when it was re-titled THE LITTLE GREY DONKEY with illustrations by Jason Cockcroft. Not sure if it was updated at all.
Published in the USA by Bobbs Merrill in 1965 under original title.
SUMMARY: Younger readers donkey story set in Ibiza. When Pietro's grandfather is taken into hospital, Pietro promises to help him by delivering the vegetables to his grandpa's customers. But Modestine the donkey does not want to co-operate! Pietro is distraught until his new American friend Amanda comes up with a plan - but will it cause even more trouble?

DONKEY DAYS
(BENN 1977)
ILLUSTRATED BY SHIRLEY HUGHES
Reprinted in paperback by Benn in 1977.
SUMMARY: Younger reader's donkey story. Kate goes to the seaside and meets the donkeys there.

Collectors Info:
As can be seen from above The White Sea Horse has been published many times in many different incarnations, including in the USA. It is therefore easy to get hold of for British and American collectors, although may be a bit harder to find else where. The first edition is harder to find but is not usually very expensive.
In the UK The Little Grey Donkey is easy to find, in its earlier incarnation of Pietro and the Mule it is harder to get hold of and may be a little more expensive. Pietro the Mule was also published in the USA and is reasonably easy to find there.
The hardest book of the three to find is Donkey Days which is quite rare, though usually not too expensive.