Cameo, the Street Pony

The second book of the Showtym Adventures, Cameo, The Street Pony, focuses on Vicky’s (the protagonist in Dandy, The Mountain Pony) younger sister, and the author, Kelly Wilson. I like the books’ creativity, the children’s resourcefulness, and the theme is good as well.

When Kelly outgrows her pony, Twinkle, her mum surprises her with a beautiful new mare, Cameo, whom she saw tied to the back of a truck. Kelly thinks Cameo is perfect. However, there is only one issue. Cameo has never been ridden! Kelly has to overcome her anxieties and trust herself if she ever wants to succeed in the upcoming Royal Easter Show, which is fast approaching. Will Kelly ever stop doubting herself, or her pony?

The theme is taking risks and overcoming your worries. Kelly has lingering anxiety from two bad incidents with a pony, and she’s afraid of getting hurt. The story follows Kelly as she learns to trust herself and loosen up. As Kelly’s mum says, “You can’t live life always expecting the worst. Sometimes you must try new things, even when it scares you.” That’s the lesson Kelly must learn. She can’t control whether she’ll get hurt riding Cameo or not, but she can’t be cautious forever. Sometimes you have to just take a leap of faith.

The story is really relatable, because everyone, at some point, has doubted themselves or have been afraid of taking a risk. This means that everyone can sympathise with Kelly and want Kelly to overcome her doubts. If a character and theme seem real to the reader, it will make the book more enjoyable as a whole.

My favourite thing about Cameo, The Street Pony is the creativity. Kelly and her family have to DIY when they want to look professional for the Royal Easter Show, as most of the gear is too expensive. They use old op shop jackets as riding jackets, they manage to give their horses a makeover, all from old horse magazines, and they make their own saddle blanket (a blanket to cushion a saddle) and browbands (a band that secures a pony's bridle, which can also be used as decoration). All of this adds a charming feel to the whole book. It also showcases the Wilson sisters' resourcefulness in making do when their family can’t afford something, a trait that will definitely help them in life.

Cameo, The Street Pony is overall an improvement to the first book, maybe because Kelly is writing about her own experience rather than her sister’s. Cameo is an amazing pony, and I think that Kelly has pulled off an amazingly sweet and relatable story. If you want more stories about the Wilson sisters, there are six books for you to enjoy.