I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review. Another Christmas book in June! My daughter loved this one. She said “My favorite part the end when he gets pickles.”

This book was so cute and heartwarming, perfect for the holiday season! The main thing the author did well in this book was the plot. There was some mild suspense building up to the conflict of the story and ending with a realistic solution. Additionally, the timing of each key plot point was impeccable, and it allowed the story to move along nicely and make a lot of sense.
The central idea of this book was also unique and clever. Even though not all kids are passionate about horseback riding, I still think that this book will be an awesome read for kids of all kinds, whether they love horses or not.
Lastly, the illustrations in this book were amazing! There was so much detail, as well as an immense amount of emotion shown through each picture. The illustrator did a spectacular job of using artwork to immerse readers in the story of Matthew and Pickles. Bravo!!

based on a true story, this book is a sweet story about the bond between a boy and Pickles the Pony. This is a perfect story for any young horse boy or horse girl.

Lovely children's book! The pictures were nice and the writing style flowed making it easy to read. This is something I would definitely read with my 3 year old. It seems to be geared towards slightly older kids though based on the length of the book.

"Pickles for Christmas" is such a cute book about Matthew, a little horse-obsessed boy with "not-so-horsey" parents. Matthew adores horses, and becomes attached to a horse named Pickles. When Pickles comes up for sale, Matthew is crushed. The art style is very old-fashioned which is such a cute style, and gives a kind of nostalgic response from myself.

Thank you so much for Netgalley and IBPA for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Bound to Happen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Matthew loves horses more than anything in the world, he loves riding any horse he is given, but when he goes to riding camp and meets pickles he’s changed forever as he meets his best friend, he treats Pickles as though he were his very own pony but Pickles becomes up for sale and he’s desperate to keep Pickles for himself.

Really super sweet I adored how much of a strong love and bond Matthew had with all the horses and that he was always so happy to meet and ride any horse he was given. I really adored when formed such a sweet connection instantly with Pickles, they were so cute together.

The illustrations were really lovely to look at, I especially loved seeing when he was playing or snuggling with Pickles, they were just the sweetest illustrations. They all really help with the story as their bond deepen and as time moved on.

A wonderful read for horse and pony lovers, but also a really sweet and lovely story of friendship, dedication and determination too. I also really liked the additional Information about the true story behind this book which was really nice to learn about.

Pickles for Christmas was an absolutely adorable book about the special bond between a child and "his" horse. This story touched me and reminded me a lot of my mum with "her" very special horse. Spoiler, both stories ended in the same way. The story was nicely paced and the illustrations were beautiful. I cannot wait to read this story again and again to my little one, and I have it in mind for two different people as a gift.

I love true stories where an animal and a child deeply bond. In Pickles for Christmas, a boy named Matthew develops a deep bond with a pony at his riding school (Pickles). Matthew begins spending more and more time with Pickles, and a really beautiful friendship takes root.

You have to feel for Matthew when he finds out that Pickles is for sale, and that another family is thinking of buying Pickles.

As a child, losing your animal companion feels unthinkable—it would be a wound that runs deep. I'm not sure if most adults grasp how deep that sort of a bond can really be (or how deep the pain of separation is) unless they have been blessed with a particularly dear animal companion in their own youth.

In Matthew's case, no matter how much he loves Pickles, no matter how keenly he would feel that loss, he is a child and (like most children). his options are extremely limited when it comes to solving this sort of a problem. I like that, even though Matthew cannot buy Pickles, or in any way ensure that they will not be separated, he does not simply do nothing. Matthew still makes an effort to do what little he can, writing down everything he can think of that would help somebody else take good care of Pickles (if it came to that).

Because Pickles for Christmas resolves so beautifully for Matthew, I did wonder if the book would inspire children to beg their own parents for ponies/pets. When it comes to buying an animal, there may be factors that the child doesn't fully grasp. Sometimes, the parent cannot responsibly fulfil the child's wishes. However, something that I read in the author's bio made me rethink that concern. Kathy is telling the true story of another child who had his wish come true. As much as she wanted a pony of her own as a six-year-old, observing the joy of another person made her feel very joyful, as well. Rather than feeling resentful toward her parents for not buying her a pony, or jealous of Matthew, she felt joy. I believe that this makes the story a great launching pad for talking about feeling genuinely happy for another person: the kid who won the raffle, the boy who got the best math score, the girl with the new bicycle. That is why I am giving Pickles for Christmas the fifth star.

Pickles for Christmas is a heartwarming story about a boy and his love of horses, particularly his favorite horse, Pickles. The illustrations are lovely and the story is a concise, sweet narrative that every kid who's ever asked for a pony for Christmas can relate to.

A simple story, where a kid gets enamoured of a pony at the local riding camp, but his parents aren't "horsey" people and would never see the ways and means of actual ownership. Would they? And would they come round to the idea in time, or will Pickles be sold to someone else first? This is pretty, but it's pretty simplistic, and I think too likely to inspire pester power, where kids reading this see it happening to this lad (spoiler alert) and therefore think they'll be equally lucky if they just annoy their parents enough. Perhaps save this for the kids who have their personal ride, and then this is an enjoyable little read; if anyone wants a pony of their own this will either torment them or their parents too much. With a self-limiting audience then this can only get three stars, despite its visual merits.

Thank you, NetGalley and IBPA, for providing me with an early copy for an honest review.

Pickles for Christmas A Pony Tale is a story about hope, focusing on a young boy's(Matthew) bond and love for a horse named Pickles.

The author did an incredible job of demonstrating the bond between Matthew and Pickles. The story was filled with passion, and the mesmerizing illustrations complemented the text. It is a story of hope that culminates in the realization of the inspiration behind it all.

This will be a great and relevant book to read to my students during library time come the holidays.

I do wish there were a bit more factual information about riding horses after the main story concludes. Nevertheless, I hope this story inspires kids to learn about horse riding.

What a sweet and wonderful book!

I especially loved the illustration of Matthew giving Pickles a bath (or vice versa)!

Love, Love, Love!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bound to Happen Publishing | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Pickles for Christmas by Kathy Simmers. Illustrator Marjorie Van Heerden does a lovely job bringing life and character to Matthew and Pickles! Pub Date Dec 05 2024. Approx 32 pages.

I was already feeling emotional while reading this book but when I found out it was based on a true story I was full on crying. It's a beautiful story of a bond between a boy and his horse. I never had the chance to interact with horses at that age so it was nice to experience it through this story. I loved the illustrations as well.

Pickles for Christmas is an enjoyable story for young readers to follow. This book features lots of gorgeous illustrations which compliment the story well. Children’s books are good ways for kids to learn the lessons of life. This pony tale is no exception. Matthew, our protagonist, learns the value of empathy and maybe we can’t always have what we want. However, if you consider others before yourself most of the time, good fortune might shine down on you one day.

The author, Kathy Simmers, uses analogy effectively in a very sweet moment in the book, which did make me smile. Overall, the story is great for children of all ages to read. The beautiful, bright illustrations really help to bring this story to life.

As someone who grew up with horses and around horses I loved this story. I thought the bond between Pickles and Mathew was beautifully done and I like that the story showed off the goofy personalities that some horses have. I thought the illustrations were whimsy and a touch nostalgic which I loved. This is a story we will be adding to our Christmas rotation.

This sweet book is about Matthew, a little boy who falls in love with a pony named Pickles. Pickles gets put up for sale and Matthew wants to buy Pickles. The Christmas setting is nostalgic for childhood holidays

Pickles for Christmas is a heartwarming holiday tale about a boy, a pony, and a Christmas miracle. When Matthew learns his beloved pony Pickles is for sale, his heart breaks — until his parents surprise him with the best gift ever.

Marjorie van Heerden captures the magic of dreams coming true with vibrant, colorful illustrations that bring this sweet story to life. Perfect for young readers and animal lovers, this touching tale is sure to become a holiday favorite.

Thank you to Bound to Happen Publishing and Kathy Simmers for the eARC!

This was a sweet children’s book about a boy and the love he has for a horse named Pickles. His parents secretly buy him for Matthew for Christmas. This was cute

Pickles for Christmas is a charming children's picture book about a young boy who takes horseback riding lessons. When the boy's favorite pony, Pickles, is announced to be available for sale, the boy explains to his parents how bonded he and his pony are and how he would love to keep Pickles. Children will adore reading about this special bond between Pickles and the boy who loves him. With truly beautiful illustrations, this children's picture book will prove to be a valuable addition to every child's personal library.

*Pickles for Christmas: A Pony Tale* by Kathy Simmers features detailed illustrations that look like beautifully done colored pencil drawings. The artwork is inviting and adds warmth to the story. Unfortunately, most pages use white text on a white or very lightly colored background, which made it nearly impossible for me to read the majority of the story.

From what I was able to gather, the book follows a young boy and his pony named Pickles, and they share fun moments together. The boy also receives a jar of pickles for Christmas. Because I could not read most of the text, I cannot judge the story’s quality. I would rate this book 2 out of 5 stars based mainly on the lovely illustrations. I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Bound to Happen Publishing.