Frances Frost
Frances Frost (1905-
eral volumes of poetry (and was the mother of the poet
Paul Blackburn). Although she won prizes for her poetry (The Yale Prize for her
early poems; the Golden Rose Award of the New England Poetry Club and the Shelley
Memorial Award) she never achieved national renown. It was as a children’s author
that she earned much of her living, writing the popular
Frances Frost’s own life did not reflect the solid and traditional life she portrayed: although Vermont inspired her novels and poetry, she did not live there beyond her early adulthood. Margaret Edwards in her Sketch of a Vermont Poet, called her “both a success and a failure in the most perplexing combination.” Edwards believed Frances Frost’s alcohol dependency held some of the key to her lack of major success, together with her “peculiar psychological pain, a blend of fear, regret, angst, pride and restlessness.”
Finding the books: all are reasonably easy to find in the US: very good first editions with dustjackets tend to be expensive. None of the Windy Foot titles had a British publication.
Sources and links:
Terri A. Wear: Horse Stories, an Annotated Bibilography, Scarecrow Press, 1987
Many thanks to Alison McCallum for the photographs and author info, and to Lisa Catz for the summaries..
Margaret Edwards on Frances Frost and her poetry
Frances Frost -
A lovely site on the Windy Foot novels.
Bibliography -
Maple Sugar for Windy Foot
Whittlesey House, New York, 1950, illus Lee Townsend, 184 pp.
“Maple sugaring season is a favourite for Toby and his Shetland pony, Windy Foot.
Windy loves to eat snow that
has the fresh syrup poured on it. Toby and his friends
help tap the maples, and boil down the syrup, finishing it up
with sugaring off on
Saint Patrick’s Day. But after sugaring season the spring rains came. The river rose
and flooded
the countryside. The Clarks and Cliff worked to save their animals and
help their neighbours. They had to cancel
their plans to visit the Burnhams, but Tish
and her father managed to furnish a big surprise for a happy Easter.”
Fireworks for Windy Foot
Whittlesey House, New York, 1956, illus Lee Townsend, 176 pp.
“School is out for the summer, and Toby is looking forward to a summer of fun with
his Shetland pony, Windy Foot,
and his palomino pony, Golden Hind II. The Clark’s
are taking part in the town’s gala Fourth of July parade, and
Toby’s part in the
pageant is almost spoiled by his reservations about his new acquaintance, Pietro
DiMarco. Tish
comes to visit for the celebration, and Toby makes an important discovery
about what being an American really
means.”
Windy Foot at the County Fair
Macgraw Hill, Whittlesey House, New York, 1947, illus Lee Townsend, 153 pp.
“Toby Clark receives a Shetland pony named Windy Foot for his birthday, and trains
him for the pony race at the
County Fair. The Clarks make some lasting friends at
the Fair. Toby becomes friends with Tish Burnham, whose
father races harness horses
at the Fair. The pony race includes friends, and a foe, Lem Strout, who causes trouble
for
Toby and Windy Foot.”
Sleigh Bells for Windy Foot
Whittlesey House, New York, 1948, illus Lee Townsend, 148 pp.
“Tish and her father visit Toby and his family for Christmas vacation. Toby and Cliff,
the hired hand, cut down an old
sleigh to use with Toby’s Shetland pony, Windy Foot.
The warmth and joy of a country Christmas is shown with
bringing in the tree, making
and buying presents, holiday cooking, and singing carols. There is also plenty of
danger
and excitement over the holidays, with a bear on the rampage, and a skiing
accident where Toby’s quick thinking
saves the day.”
The Windy Foot Series
Windy Foot at the County Fair
Sleigh Bells for Windyfoot
Maple Sugar for Windy Foot
Fireworks for Windyfoot
