The True Story of Miracle Man

Written by Lois Szymanski

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Miracle Man didn’t start out with his stars in alignment. If he hadn’t been discovered, apparently abandoned on Assateague Island, and then captured and taken to the Leonard family’s ranch, this book wouldn’t be a testament to his legacy. Fifth and sixth grade horse lovers will be drawn to this story based on true events of a Chincoteague pony’s return to health after weeks of fever from an infection in his leg. The ‘miracle’ in his name refers to his unlikely survival after all the standard medical measures have been taken and nature is left to take its course. His young care-taker, Cynthia Leonard, dubs his recovery a miracle and re-names him accordingly.  An interesting afterword includes a newspaper clipping of the original story along with a recounting of another of Miracle Man’s legendary accomplishments years later.

Although the book’s overall size is more like a picture book, inside the text is dense, presented in double columns with a small font. This may be off-putting to younger readers. Dedicated horse fans and fans of Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteque series won’t be put off however. The color photos, all showing the main character as a full-grown horse are nice.  A glossary is included.

The author is a longtime horse lover. You can read about her here; http://loisszymanski.weebly.com/author-bio.html

To learn more about Assateague Island where Miracle Man now lives you can look here:http://www.nps.gov/asis/naturescience/horses.htm

If you want to read more about the Chincoteague ponies from Assateague Island with their names, look here:http://www.chincoteague.com/ponies-by-name.html

  • True Story of Miracle ManTitle: The True Story of Miracle Man
  • Author: Lois Szymanski
  • Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
  • Reviewer: Carol S. Surges
  • Hardcover: 47 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7643-4420-6
  • Genre:  Nonfiction, Animals

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