Blaze And The Gray Spotted Pony
C.W. Anderson
1968, The Macmillan Company

Tommy loves horses, and always gets toys for his birthday. He watches his neighbor Billy ride his pony Blaze and wishes for a pony of his own. One day, he spots a little grey pony and tells his father he'd like a pony just like that for his birthday. His father secretly asks Billy to help him find just such a pony.

By 1968, Anderson's style had changed dramatically. The lines of human faces and horse legs had become shadows, and the whole effect is much more natural and gentle. These are Anderson's iconic horses, all soft, glossy coats and melting dark eyes. The grey spotted pony's coloring seems a little odd, though that may just be the effect of Anderson's charcoal technique. The book's first pages are heavily human, with few horses, but the drawing of little Tommy playing with horse models is charming. What horse-hungry child hasn't done this?

Horses/Ponies
Blaze - bay pony with four socks and a blaze
Dusty - gray spotted pony (is named in later books)

Other Books by Anderson
Billy And Blaze books
Billy And Blaze
Blaze And The Gypsies
Blaze And The Forest Fire
Blaze Finds The Trail
Blaze And Thunderbolt
Blaze And The Mountain Lion
Blaze And The Indian Cave
Blaze And The Lost Quarry
Blaze And The Gray Spotted Pony
Blaze Shows The Way
Blaze Finds Forgotten Roads

Other Books (picture)
A Pony For Linda
The Crooked Colt
Pony For Three
Lonesome Little Colt

Other Books
Bobcat
High Courage
The Horse of Hurricane Hill
Salute
Afraid To Ride
Phantom, Son Of The Gray Ghost
A Filly For Joan
Great Heart
Another Man O'War
The Outlaw

Other Books (nonfiction)
Tomorrow’s Champions
Horses Are Folks
The Smashers
Thoroughbreds
Heads Up, Heels Down
Deep Through The Heart
Sketchbook
Twenty Gallant Horses
Complete Book Of Horses And Horsemanship