About the author
Peter Clover was born in London in 1952. His first book was Drawing Horses and Ponies, and the first pony book he illustrated was Christine Pullein-Thompson’s The Best Pony for Me! He is best known for writing the Sheltie series, which is aimed at young readers. There have been American authors who have written for this age group before (C W Anderson’s Billy and Blaze is a particularly good example), but Peter Clover is one of the first British authors to do so. The Sheltie series, about Sheltie the Shetland pony and his owner Emma now runs to 24 titles. Many of them are still in print, and the earlier titles have gone into further editions.
Peter Clover has also written a series on donkeys (which is a rarity these days: donkey stories have never been thick on the ground) as well as the Rescue Riders series, again for the younger reader.
Other books
Drawing Horses and Ponies, 1994
Numerous Sheltie specials
Sources and links
Penguin Books’ page on Peter Clover
Series
The Sheltie Series
1 Sheltie the Shetland Pony, 1996
2 Sheltie Saves the Day, 1996
3 Sheltie and the Runaway, 1996
4 Sheltie Finds a Friend, 1996
5 Sheltie to the Rescue, 1997
6 Sheltie in Danger, 1997
7 Sheltie Rides to Win, 1998
8 Sheltie and the Saddle Mystery, 1998
9 Sheltie Leads the Way, 1998
10 Sheltie The Hero, 1998
11 Sheltie in Trouble, 1998
12 Sheltie and the Stray, 1998
13 Sheltie and the Snow Pony, 1999
14 Sheltie on Parade, 1999
15 Sheltie For Ever, 1999
16 Sheltie on Patrol, 1999
17 Sheltie Goes to School, 1999
18 Sheltie Gallops Ahead, 1999
19 Sheltie in Double Trouble, 1999
20 Sheltie in Peril, 2000
21 Sheltie by the Sea, 2000
22 Sheltie and the Foal, 2000
23 Sheltie Races On, 2000
24 Sheltie at the Funfair, 2001
Compilations/specials
The Big Adventure, 1999
The Big Present, 1999
The Big Show, 1999
The Big Surprise, 1999
The Big Wish, 2000
The Big Discovery, 2000
The Donkey Diaries Series
Donkey Danger, 2001
Donkey Disaster, 2001
Donkey Drama, 2001
Donkey in Distress, 2002
The Rescue Riders Series
Race Against Time, 1998
Fire Alert, 1998
Ghost Pony, 1998
Bibliography
SHELTIE THE SHETLAND PONY
Penguin, 1996
Puffin Books, 2002
Emma doesn’t want to move to the country, but then she meets Sheltie and he changes her mind. They even manage to solve the mystery of Mr Crock’s
disappearing cabbages.
SHELTIE SAVES THE DAY
Penguin, 1996
Sheltie finds a treasure map, which could be the thing they need to save Horseshoe Pond being sold. Unfortunately, Emma and Sheltie aren’t the only ones to be looking for the treasure.
Sheltie and the Runaway
Penguin, 1996
Sheltie and Emma come to the rescue when their friend Sally, and her pony Minnow, run away.
SHELTIE FINDS A FRIEND
Penguin, 1996
Mudlark, a donkey comes to stay, but one morning he disappears. Will Sheltie and Emma be able to find Mudlark before his owner comes back?
SHELTIE TO THE RESCUE
Penguin, 1997
Emma thinks Summerland Bay will be the best holiday ever, especially as Sheltie is coming too. However, Alice Parker is there too, but when she and her pony get into trouble, Sheltie is the only one who can save them.
SHeltie in danger
Penguin, 1997
Sheltie saves Emma when she falls through the ice, but his dipping makes him very ill. Emma is determined to save Sheltie’s life.
Sheltie Rides to Win
Penguin, 1998
Emma and Sheltie are awaiting Little Applewood’s first Pony Show, but Melody Parker is determined to win by fair means or foul. It’s up to Sheltie to show her the error of her ways.
Sheltie and the Saddle Mystery
Penguin, 1998
Saddles have been stolen from the villages around Little Applewood, and Emma hatches a plan to solve the mystery.
Sheltie Leads the Way
Penguin, 1998
A special pony scavenger hunt has been organised, and Emma is sure she’ll win, but when they’re out on the moor, a mist comes down and cuts one of the riders, Joanna, off on the moor.
Sheltie the Hero
Penguin, 1998
Everyone’s going away for a weekend break, including Sheltie. They’re travelling in a horse-drawn caravan, but lazy Toby, who pulls the caravan, puts the family in danger.
SHELTIE IN TROUBLE
Penguin, 1998
Gregory is a holiday visitor to Emma’s village, and at first she’s happy to make friends. Then Gregory starts to treat Sheltie as his own, and one day Emma catches him riding Sheltie without permission. Then Sheltie disappears….
SHELTIE AND THE STRAY
Penguin, 1998
Emma and Sheltie want the stray dog to stay, but then he disappears. Emma decides she simply has to find him, but her search leads her into trouble. Sheltie is the only one who knows where she is.
SHELTIE AND THE SNOW PONY
Penguin, 1999
Emma and Sheltie find a very thin pony tethered in the snow and left to fend for himself. It’s up to Emma and Sheltie to come to the rescue.
SHELTIE ON PARADE
Penguin, 1999
SHELTIE FOR EVER
Penguin, 1999
Many yeras ago, there was a chalk pony cut out of Barrow Hill, and Sheltie and Emma want to find it before a bypass is built over the hill.
SHELTIE ON PATROL
Penguin, 1999
A prize pig has been stolen, and if Emma and Sheltie can find it, the reward money will pay for a new bridle.
SHELTIE GOES TO SCHOOL
Penguin, 1999
Sheltie is giving pony rides at Emma’s school fete, but he develops a great interest in the caretaker’s shed.
SHELTIE GALLOPS AHEAD
Penguin, 1999
Emma and Sally are practising for a cross country competition.
Penguin, 1999
Sheltie has a double…. Topper. Only Emma can tell them apart, and then Topper’s owner takes Sheltie by mistake. Emma has to find him before she loses him for ever.
Penguin, 1999
Sheltie has a double…. Topper. Only Emma can tell them apart, and then Topper’s owner takes Sheltie by mistake. Emma has to find him before she loses him for ever.
RABBITS GALORE
Puffin Books, 1999 (small, pocket-sized book)
Cosmo the magician comes to visit Little Applewood. Then all the rabbits escape, but luckily Sheltie knows what to do.
SHELTIE, THE STAR OF THE SHOW
Puffin Books, 1999 (small, pocket-sized book)
Originally published in Sheltie, The Big Present
Sheltie is a star in Cinderella, the school pantomime.
PHANTOM PONY
Corgi Children’s, London, 1999
The blurb:
When Alice moves into her new home, a farm high up in the moors, she dreams of having a pony of her very own. Then she discovers a little stable, and Bella – a very unusual pony. For Bella is a ghost – a phantom pony.
SHELTIE IN PERIL
Penguin, 2000
Sheltie has a terrible accident, and the vet thinks he will never walk again. Emma is determined to get him back to normal.
SHELTIE BY THE SEA
Penguin, 2000
Emma is looking forward to a holiday in Clifftop Cottage at Summerland Bay, but instead they have to stay at The Golden Anchor. Sheltie’s friend Mary, who runs an animal hospital, is pleased to see them but she is having financial problems and the hospital needs repairing.
SHELTIE AND THE FOAL
Penguin, 2000
SHELTIE RACES ON
Penguin, 2000
Emma has been training Sheltie for a carriage race, but when the driver of the carriage has an accident and can’t continue, Emma decides to learn to drive herself.
SHELTIE AT THE FUNFAIR
Penguin, 2001
A funfair is coming to Little Applewood, but when it arrives, someone sets out to try and ruin the rides. Only Emma and Sheltie can save the day.
Storm Pony
Corgi, Young Corgi Books, London, 2000, illus Robert Lawrie
Heather’s grandfather signals to her every day from the lighthouse where he lives. One day, he doesn’t signal. Heather is sure there is something wrong, and the only way to reach her grandfather is to ride her pony Caspar across the stretch of sand between the mainland and the lighthouse before the tide catches them.
donkey danger
Oxford, 2001, illus Carolyn Dinan, cover Chris Chapman
Danni and Shadow, her racing donkey are doing a point to point to raise money for the donkey sanctuary, but everywhere they go they hear tales of a mysterious man who’s been buying donkeys and taking them off to his donkey retirement home. Danni is suspicious…
donkey disaster
Oxford, 2001. Illus Carolyn Dinan, cover Chris Chapman
Robyn and her mum are the first paying guests at Whistlewind Farm. Robyn is delighted to help Danni and Tim look after all the donkeys, but her mum is not so keen. When Robyn’s mum learns of plans to build a factoryo next to the donkey sanctuary, she takes matters into her own hands, and nothing will stop her in
her quest to save the donkeys.
Donkey drama
Oxford, 2001, illus Carolyn Dinan, cover Chris Chapman
Donkey in Distress
Oxford, 2002, illus Carolyn Dinan, cover Chris Chapman
fire alert
Hodder Children’s Books, 1998, illus Shelagh McNicholas
Pollinger in Print, 2007
There is a new girl at the stables: Charlotte is jealous of her and decides to ignore her. Then Charlotte’s pony manages to start a fire, and the new girl proves her worth.
Ghost Pony
Hodder Children’s Books, 1998, illus Shelagh McNicholas
Pollinger in Print, 2007
There are reports of a phantom pony being seen on the moors, so Hannah and her friends Charlotte and Jade go out on a ghost hunt. When they investigate, they discover a real, frightened pony, turned loose by his heartless owner.
RACE AGAINST TIME
Hodder Children’s Books, 1998, illus Shelagh McNicholas
Pollinger in Print, 2007
Hannah is on a special activity holiday with her family, but disaster strikes when her stepfather’s canoe capsizes and he is knocked unconscious. Hannah has to try and ride for rescue in terrible weather, on a pony she isn’t used to.
OSCAR’S NEW FRIENDS (LITTLE BRIDGE FARM SERIES)
Scholastic, 2007
Oscar says good bye to life at the city stables, and hello to life on the farm, but he finds it difficult at first: the other animals don’t seem very friendly.
