Since releasing my Marguerite Henry biography Marguerite, Misty and Me last summer, people keep connecting with me telling their fun Marguerite Henry stories. Today I had the pleasure of interviewing a horsewoman from Wisconsin who was the little girl on the cover image of Dear Readers and Riders.
The way it happened was like this: I wrote a blog post about Dear Readers and Riders. I shared the blog post on Facebook, and woman left a comment to the effect, "The little girl in the picture on the cover is my sister."
I immediately send a DM to the woman and asked if I could talk to her sister and ask her about the experience being on Marguerite Henry's book. lol
The sister gave me her cover photo sister's phone number, and said to give her a call, but that she probably wouldn't pick up because of an unrecognized number, but to leave a voice mail and she'd call me back.
Who is the Girl on the Cover of Dear Readers and Riders?
Well, I called and right away Amy, the blonde from Dear Readers and Riders, picked up. She said there wasn't much of a story to it (after speaking with her for twenty minutes, I respectfully disagree).
Amy's family lived in Wadsworth, Illinois (a very horsey area today, but even more so back in the late 1960s when the photo was taken). Their next door neighbor worked for Rand McNally, Marguerite Henry's publisher. Amy was always riding her pony.
One day when Amy was hanging out with her mare and foal, a photographer was visiting the Rand McNally neighbor. He shot the cute image and that was that. (In fact, Amy's mom didn't even know her daughter's photo had been taken--my how times have changed).
The photo was used for a three-month calendar, and a neighbor with ponies had an engraving company and he received the calendar. He alerted Amy's mom, and at that point Rand McNally had mom sign a release and Amy said she believes they paid her ten dollars.
They didn't think much of it, until the day a signed copy of Dear Readers and Riders appeared in the mailbox! Amy was now on the cover of a book.
When I asked Amy if she thought it was embarrassing or an honor to be on the cover of a book by an author whose books she devoured she said not really, because she was too busy out riding all the time.
Today the calendar hangs in her horse trailer. She never did get to meet Marguerite Henry, but she has kept the special edition of her on the cover of Dear Readers and Riders, with a personalized inscription by Marguerite.
Conclusion
If you love Marguerite Henry books, I hope you will read my Marguerite Henry biography titled Marguerite, Misty and Me. I'm proud to have invested over two years researching the background of my favorite author. I think you'll love getting to know the backstory of Marguerite and Misty of Chincoteague.
