About the author
Hetty Burlingame Beatty (1907–71) was initially a sculptor, who also wrote and illustrated children’s books. Her sculptures were exhibited nationally, and she won second prize at the International Exhibition of Horses in Sculpture in New York. She wrote several books for children, and eventually spent most of her time writing and illustrating rather than sculpting. Beatty wrote books aimed at varying age groups, and also became interested in writing non-fiction. She said:
I have lived for two years in Italy, 1929 – 1931, and have since traveled a good deal in Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, as well as in the United States. I speak French and Italian, after a fashion. Horses, gardening, and square dancing are among my special interests, and I love to plan and build houses. I designed our house in Bermuda, where my husband and I spend the winters.
I am primarily interested in writing for children, but have become increasingly interested in adult non-fiction. While I am busily writing, my husband is equally busy in his work of handwrought sculpture in lead and other things in pewter, copper, brass, and silver. He founded The Pewter Shop in Rockport, Massachusetts, thirty years ago and was long associated with it.
Finding the books
Blitz is very common; the other titles are a bit less so, but still readily available. I believe Trumper is back in print. None of the books were published in the UK.
Links and sources
Hetty Burlingame Beatty papers at Archives West
Contemporary Authors. 28 October 2003. 30 June 2005.
Many thanks to Lisa Catz for the photographs.
Bibliography (horse books only)
Little Wild Horse
Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1949, illus the author
Peter wants a horse of his own so that he can help his father. When he watches a herd of
wild horses, he sees a little grey horse, and decides that’s the one for him.
Bronto
Doubleday, New York, 1952
Bronto is a brown horse who lives on a ranch, and he is known as a no-good horse. One day Bill makes friends with the horse. They learn to work together and manage to show everyone else how good they are.
Droopy
Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1954, 26 pp, illus the author
Droopy is stubborn. He will not do anything he is asked. Then one day he is asked to go swimming – predictably he refuses. However, when the boy who wanted him to swim gets into trouble, Droopy sees the error of his ways.
Bucking Horse
Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1957, 37 pp, illus the author
Danny manages to gentle a horse called the Wild One. However, the Wild One bucks all other cowboys off.
blitz
Houghton Mifflin, New York, 1961, 118 pp, illus Joshua Tolford
Scholastic, 1966
Blitz is a firehorse but when he has a terrible accident, he is no longer suitable to work with the fire department, and has to be sold.
Moorland Pony
Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1961, 40 pp, illus the author
Judd and his family are in England, and while they are there, they make friends with Teaser, an English moorland pony. When they return to America, they decide they’ll take Teaser with them.
Trumper
Houghton Mifflin, New York, 1963
General books, 2009
A review of Trumper on Pony Book Chronicles
Mark wants to enter the local 4-H competition for all-round light-weight farm
horses. His family now have a new horse, called Trumper, and Mark tries to train him for haying and hauling the milk wagon.
Rebel the Reluctant Racehorse
Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1968, 30 pp, illus the author
Rebel became a famous racehorse, but unfortunately he was very easily distracted.
