KING of the WIND: The Glorious Horse Art of Wesley Dennis

The horse stories of my childhood were brilliantly illustrated by Wesley Dennis, who captured movement and even facial expressions in a way that was almost uncanny. Marguerite Henry's horse stories, which now seem terribly sentimentalized, were brought to life by Dennis's whimsy and fierceness. Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind would not have been the same without these works of art. 

Assateague to Chincoteague: Pony Penning Day

Wild ponies swim from Assateague to Chincoteague Island, Maryland, for the annual Pony Penning Day. This event was mythologized in Marguerite Henry's children's novel, Misty of Chincoteague (with glorious, magical illustrations by Wesley Dennis). The movie made from the novel wasn't half-bad, as they used the real ponies, location, and locals.

The art of the horse

This is just a small sampling of the magnificent "horse art" of Wesley Dennis, who illustrated all of Marguerite Henry's most famous books. He had a sense of the horse that transcended mere likeness and transformed Henry's books from ripping good stories into something magical and unforgettable. I still have my old, yellowed copy of Misty of Chincoteague, and my King of the Wind with the cover long gone. Some of the black-and-white illustrations have been coloured in with pencil crayons - surely not by me! I had three older siblings who all had their way with these books until they were handed down to me. This merely added layers of magic.

Say Misty for me

Wild horse attack

Well, no. Actually, it's a lot of wild ponies from Assateague Island disrupting the peace and quiet of tourists on the beach. But I don't think anybody minds meeting Misty's descendents up close and personal.

From Misty to Stormy

Misty, Part II

I get Misty

Be patient with me today, for I am trying to put together something impossible. I recently watched the movie version of Misty of Chincoteague, my favorite "horse book" of all time, and was entranced. It was filmed on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands before they were overrun with tourists and roads, with just acres and acres of blazing white sand and aching blue sky and roaring surf. Picture the Chincoteague ponies ripping along that beach, their wildness, their horseness, and - . It's beyond what I can describe, and the YouTube videos were pretty lame. So I put together a few stills (less than ideal) with a piece of music that sums up horseness, wildness, and freedom. The real Misty - and yes, there really was a Misty - appears in an incredible photo where she's close enough to touch, with awestruck children watching her in the background.

More about Misty later. I have a lot to say.