Book for parent-child interaction

​Mini Whinny: Happy Birthday to Me! 
by Stacy Gregg    
Illustrations by Ruth Paul 

I just love a quality hardcover children’s book!
   Especially when it is well bound and has glossy pages. And each page contains bright pictures with lots of action going on. And this is definitely one of those.
    This book is for any child who loves horses.
It’s simply for any child whether short or tall, curvy or as straight as a beanpole.
   It’s about having different feelings, like feeling bad or grumpy, and how to cope with them.
   It’s about feeling small and unnoticed in a world of big: about wanting to be special: about NOT wanting to share.
   So now in this story it’s official. It is the OFFICIAL HORSE BIRTHDAY 1st August. That means every horse, not just some, every single horse gets to celebrate its birthday on 1 August.
   But is Mini Whinny happy about this arrangement? No, she’s definitely not happy.
   Mini Whinny wants to have her own special birthday. She throws a tantrum and stomps around and makes some noise about it. Fancy having to share her very special birthday with all those other horses!
   She comes up with a plan.
   In the middle of the night, when everyone is asleep, she rearranges the birthday decorations and celebration into her own stall where she will have her own party.
   But there is no one to cheer her on when she blows out all the candles on the carrot cake, or smashes the piñata, or anything. She is alone, in tears, and finds it is not much fun after all.
   Kindly Palomina comes to her rescue.
   Surely celebrations are more fun when shared with friends?
   Can the pair make things better for all the horses?
   This is an excellent book for joint interaction between parent and child.

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Review by Susan Tarr

Title: Mini Whinny: Happy Birthday to Me!
Author: Stacy Gregg    Illustrator: Ruth Paul 
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-77543-537-2 
RRP: $19.19
Available: bookshops