About the author
Marianne Gauss (b.1885) wrote books aimed at young children, which were illustrated by CW Gauss, who must have been a relation. Some of the books the pair wrote are due to be available as ebooks.
Finding the books
Can sometimes by tricky, but are generally reasonably priced when they do turn up. The books were not printed in the UK.
Links and sources
Terri A. Wear: Horse Stories, an Annotated Bibliography, Scarecrow Press, 1987
Thanks to Lisa Catz for the photographs and information.
Bibliography (horse books only)
Bang of the Diamond Tail
Albert Whitman & Co, Chicago, 1935, 32 pp, illus C W Gauss
“Bang is a pony who lives on the Diamond Tail Ranch in Colorado. When he is still very young, he runs away to become a wild horse. Bang finds that the life of a wild horse is a very hard one, and he is very unhappy. But fortunately Bang has been branded, and he is finally found by his owner.”
Firecracker
Albert Whitman & Co, Chicago, 1937, 32 pp
Firecracker was captured from the prairie and taken to the rodeo where he throws everyone
but a very young cowboy named Ted. Firecracker is given to Ted, and goes home to the cattle ranch Ted lives on. Ted is very kind to him, and eventually Firecracker is quiet to ride. When Ted has to move to the city, Firecracker is sold as a riding stable horse. He keeps bucking people off, is downgraded to a pack horse, and is very unhappy, until one day he runs back to his old home.
Smasher and Kickup
Albert Whitman & Co, Chicago, 1939, 32pp
Smasher and Kickup are two rogue colts out with the ranch herd. Most have given up on
Kickup, but young cowboy Mike wants to give Smasher a chance. The horse is too unpredictable, and the ranch foreman doesn’t want to keep him. The horses both escape and join a rogue band of horses. When Smasher is sold to a circus for food, Mike tries to get hold of him, but has competition from the gang of rogue horses and Kickup.
Kickapoo the Fighting Bronc
Albert Whitman & Co, Chicago, 1945, 32 pp