Szymanski discovered her third book while doing research for an article on the Chincoteague ponies which she was writing for Horse Illustrated magazine. Two of the firemen who care for the wild ponies told her the true story of Icicle.
"The story was so beautiful that I cried when firemen Asa Hicks and Donald Leonard told it to me. I knew it would be my next book," Szymanski recalled. Taking Matt, her main character in her first book, PatchesLittle Icicle added a new dimension to a true tale, one that has already sold 100,000 copies and has been published in German, and Danish.
Matt and his friend Holly were following pony tracks through the woods on Chincoteague Island when they saw it... an ice-covered pony was stuck in the frozen pond. Her eyes were closed and they couldn't tell if she was even breathing. While Matt stayed with the mare, Holly ran back along the trail as fast as she could to get help from the island firemen. Matt and Holly knew that every minute counted, but they never guessed just how important it would be to save that special pony's life.
Little Icicle can be ordered from God's World Book Club.
