Penny the Palomino Quarter Horse and the Triple Crown Mystery by Gary Scogin - REVIEW + INTERVIEW!

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

It's time to once again don your best apparel.  Gents grab your sport coats and ladies, the biggest, flashiest hat you can possibly find.  We're heading back to the races with your favorite palomino and mine, PENNY!  That's right!  She and Mr. Dollarhide are at it again but this time, it's not shoes that have Penny's mind in a tizzy, but how on earth she is suppose to wear three crowns?  Yes...we're about to get silly, fun, and educational while enjoying our time between the pages of the latest release in the PENNY Picture Book series...

Penny the Palomino Quarter Horse

and the Triple Crown Mystery

by

Gary Scogin

Illustrated by

Alex Ray

9781614564232

Sarah Book Publishing

PURCHASE:  Sarah Book Publishing  |  Amazon

If you missed out on Penny's first adventure, there's still time to catch up but in no way is it required that you read it first in order to enjoy this one.  Penny is a beautiful, bright, speedy little palomino horse who causes herself a bit of unnecessary worry with her lack of listening skills.  You see, the first time around she overheard something about "her new shoes" and all she could imagine were the various ones she'd seen on the farm and how on earth she was suppose to get around in ANY of them on her own four legs.  Thankfully that gets straightened out without too much fuss or muss.  This time around, she's hearing something about triple crowns.  Now, she vaguely knows what a crown is but how (and why) on earth someone would want to wear THREE at once is beyond her.  Good things too, considering there is no actual crown to be worn.  Old Mr. Dollarhide knows what he's doing though and his know how with her speed could take them all the way to the top! 

Just like with the first story, the illustrations work hand in hand with this tale.  From Penny's expressions throughout each scene to the beauty of the floral wreaths she gets to wear with each win, the grandeur of the stadiums/risers at each venue brimming with spectators to the genuine pride Mr. Dollarhide has for his beloved palomino, it's all there brimming with color for readers to enjoy.  I gotta say, I love how it turns itself from a purely entertaining story to a work of edutainment.  This is the most I've probably known about the Triple Crown races in all my years and I had a blast learning it too!  Penny is a great companion throughout the story and as she figures things out, so do we.  You see to her, it was simply running a race to bask in the radiant roses, cordial carnations, or bountiful black-eyed Susan's...she is a horse that loves her fauna.  In reality, it was Penny making her way into the history books and becoming part of an elite equestrian club that achieved a triple win of the biggest races there are.  Quite the journey for such a sweet horse, but heartwarming nonetheless.

Recommended read for all ages.  Be sure to pay close attention to the information passed along throughout the take and see if you can spot all the triple crowns that appear throughout the story!

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INTERVIEW:  Author Gary Scogin

1.)  What inspired you to create the Penny series?  Was she plucked from real life inspiration or a figment of imagination that couldn't be denied? 

The idea of Penny came to me when I saw a cowboy putting new shoes on a horse.  I wondered what the horse was thinking when this was occurring.  The idea stuck with me for a few years before I decided to sit down and come up with a story about a horse getting new shoes.  That is how Penny was born. 

2.)  What's the ONE THING you hope to accomplish above all with Penny's tales? 

I hope that readers fall in love with Penny just as I have and can’t wait to go on other adventures with her.

 

3.)  Of the two releases, this one seems to be a bit more realistic overall...not that I'm one to shy away from purely fantastical stories.  Which did you have more fun writing and why?

While I certainly enjoyed creating both stories, Penny and The Triple Crown was especially fun because I tried to weave some truth into the story, specifically with the signage in the background and going on the journey through all three races of the Triple Crown.  I enjoyed the challenge of taking a fictional story and imbedding facts into it.

 

I had to research locations of each race and try to put that information into the story such as Penny thinking about churches on hills (Churchill Downs).  At the beginning of the book, readers will notice some fun and interesting Triple Crown Facts.  There is also information about every Triple Crown-winning horse towards the end.

4.)  With two books under your wing, curious minds want to know what's next?  Will you be adding to the Penny series or trying out other pastures?

There is a third book in the Penny series where once again Penny misunderstands something that Mr. Dollarhide says and she spends the remainder of the story trying to figure out what he meant.  The setting for this story is in the intense heat at a logging competition and the reader will enjoy seeing Penny in some pretty comical situations. The story has been written, fleshed out, and is ready to go as soon as the publisher gives the nod to my wonderful illustrator.  His name is Alex Ray out of Florida and has done a tremendous job of capturing Penny’s expressions depending on each scene.

 

I have completed my first young adult novel and am in the process of trying to find an editor.  If there is an editor out there who wants to work with me, look me up on garyscogin.com and shoot me an email or contact me at gscogin@fisdk12.net.  Both of my books are available at Amazon.com and Sarahbookpublishing.com  

A few quick questions before you go.  Just say (err, type) the first answer that comes to mind...

Favorite...

...color?   Mustang Blue and Aggie Maroon

...book (at the moment)?   Jonathan Auxier's - The Night Gardener

...food?   Mexican Food

...day of the week? Saturday

...time of the year?   Summers spent in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado

...pastime?   basketball, camping with my boys, and hiking new trails in Colorado

...thing about being a writer?   Unrestrained creativity

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About author Gary Scogin...

I am the proud author of the award winning children’s picture book, Penny the Palomino Quarter Horse and Her New Shoes. My publisher is Sarah Book Publishing. Their website is SarahBookPublishing.com. Penny is also available at amazon.com.

I have been a middle school 6th grade language arts teacher in Friendswood ISD for the past 12 years. I graduated from Texas A&M and received my master’s degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake. In the summer time, our family enjoys going to Colorado and finding new hikes to explore. When I am not teaching or writing, I enjoy running in the early mornings while there is still a chance of a slight cool breeze.

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Special thanks to author Gary Scogin for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Sarah Book Publishing, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!