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Oscar The Lonely Pony: True Tales From Tobermory Open Farm

by S. MacDougall; Illustrated by Jennifer Jack

14 pages; Saddle stitched; illustrated children's book; full color; catalogue #07-0629; ISBN 1-4251-2228-0; US$9.67, C$11.13, EUR7.54, £5.00

A unique and different look at a children's book, as the story of the characters is real as are the challenges that face them. Beautifully pained originals make this book priceless.

About the Book

Based on the beautiful Island of Mull on the west coast of Scotland. Oscar the Lonely Pony is the true story of an orphan Shetland pony foal. Rehomed at Tobermory Open Farm he struggles with the strange surroundings and the weird animals that are next to him. The book tells of the challenges that the sad and lonely foal must face from looking for a friend, to accepting the new way to drink milk the only thing that will help him survive since he is so young. He finds a friend in an orphan highland calf who teaches him to drink milk again. They form a close bond and go everywhere together. Visitors to the farm find it amazing that the two different species get on so well. Both the foal and the calf flourish and are allowed out from the shed, where they have a wonderful time running and playing in the warm summer sunshine. The uniqueness of the story is that it is true and all the characters really exist and there is a happy ending.

About the Author

Born in Peebles Scotland Sis MacDougall sees herself as a true islander as her family moved to the Isle of Mull in 1973 when she was only three years old. Her father was a hill shepherd and her mum used to work in Edinburgh zoo so you could say that looking after animals was in her blood! Schooled at Tobermory Sis was not of the academic type and school reports said "could be better". On leaving school she enrolled in agricultural college. Taking a course in hill and upland management for two years where she became top student. On returning to Mull she became shepherd at Glengorm where her family had moved to all those years before. She was first married in 1993 which didn't last too long and was divorced 3 years later. She then met and married her now husband Robbie in 1997 and has a family of four children. She kept on shepherding and helping out with the cattle when and wherever required. Her parents then left Mull to farm for themselves which saw her short of baby-sitters. Now shepherding with twin girls was impossible so the decisions to give it up was taken. Both Sis and Robbie had sheep of their own and an assortment of hens, ducks, and some ponies and a couple of cows and an appaloosa horse. With Sis giving up shepherding they thought that they would have to sell most of their animals as the loss of a wage would make things tight on one wage. So the idea of Tobermory Open Farm was born. They decided to open up their small croft on the outskirts of Tobermory to the public. And people started coming and coming and a good going small business has developed. It is also a good excuse to be able to buy in more animals and the collections has grown into what it is today. For the more traditional types of farm animal into the exotic South American Rheas. Rabbits, exhibition poultry and heaps more. The Open Farm is open from April to September and during the winter months maintenance and winter feeding of the animals is done. Now that Sis' youngest children have started school she has been able to start shepherding again part-time, a job that she loves. She will also be working through the season at the open farm as she hopes that it's a business that will be able to provide a future for her children if they want it.

Excerpts