About the author
Irmengarde Eberle (1898–1979) was born in Texas, and came east after she graduated from Texas State Women’s University. She worked as an editor and writer, and as a reviewer of children’s books for the New York Herald Tribune’s book section. Her first children’s book was Picture Stories for Children, and by the end of her career she had written over 60 books, also writing under the names Allyn Allen and Phyllis Ann Carter. She was one of the originators of the Children’s Book Section of the Authors’ League, serving as its Chairman.
Her most famous series of books was the Lives Here series about animal habitats. Animals were the subject of many of her books, which included at least three (under her own name; and one as Allyn Allen) about horses.
Finding the books
Availability, and pricing of all the titles is erratic. None were published in the UK.
Links and sources
Dustjacket of Mustang on the Prairie
Irmengarde Eberle’s papers are in the De Grummond Collection
Thank you to Lisa Catz for the photographs.
Bibliography (horse books only)
Johnny’s Island Ark
Watts, New York, 1960, illus Sam Savitt
Johnny forgot to shut the gate after he rode Red Boy, and the cows got out and ruined Mr Rolf’s garden. Johnny felt responsible, and tried to put the situation right by earning money to replace the plants.
Pete and the Mouse
Abelard-Schumann, New York, 1964, 41 pp, illus Gerald Rose
A mouse tries to make friends with the plough horse Pete in his stall, but Pete is large, and his stamping and snorting nearly drive the mouse away.
Mustang on the Prairie
Doubleday & Company, Inc, New York, 1968, 89 pp, illus Joseph Cellini
Set during the time Texas won its independence from Mexico, when the Dennon family set out on their journey to find a homestead near San Antonio. At the same time, a wild mustang colt is born on the Texas prairie. The story follows the separate courses of the family and the colt, both
of whom have their share of struggles, but who are united in the end.
