The Real Cowgirl

By Isabelle Duff & Susannah Crispe

Reviewed by Margarite Igras

Australian author, Isabelle Duffy, has written this heart-warming story based on her experiences as a young girl living on a farm in NSW. It is about the special relationship between a girl and her pony, the importance and power of friendships, and overcoming self-doubt and anxiety. There is a gentleness, not only in the unfolding of the story, but also the warmth of Susannah Crispe’s soft watercolour illustrations and those simple yet expressive faces on the horses in the story.

When Sal is with her pony, she feels brave and smart and strong and wild.  They ride behind the cows after school, they can do amazing equestrian tricks together, and gallop up the biggest hills, just like cowgirls do. But, when she is at school, she feels lonely, and anxious and scared. The story is surprisingly narrated by her concerned pony who wishes the school children could see Sal’s confidence when she is on the farm galloping in the paddocks.  Then one day Sal makes a new friend at school, Someone to explore the paddocks and find fairy houses underneath the trees and life begins to look brighter.

The many double-page spreads have one or two sentences of simple text, that comes to life with Isabelle Duffy’s warm colour palette, green hilly paddocks and animated pony expressions. The countryside is not typically Australian, other than the blue budgerigars on the tree branches. Names like Jillaroo, drover or country girl may have added to an Aussie context.

For 3–8-year-olds, who will be touched by a pet story told from the horse’s mouth.

Teacher’s Notes

EK Books 2024