The Silver Brumby (novel)

The Silver Brumby (1958) is a novel for children by Australian author Elyne Mitchell.^[1] It was commended for the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1959.^[2]

Story outline

The story follows the fortunes of a young stallion in a herd of brumbies in the Australian mountain country as he fights his way to the leadership of the herd.

Critical reception

The reviewer in The Bulletin had a few reservations about the book: "One has some doubts about the way the horses talk in it - Mrs. Mitchell, with her essentially realistic approach, hasn't ste up quite the right climate of fantasy where this could be acceptable - and, with one brumby-hunt following another and the stallions incessantly fighting, it is a bit repetitive: but against that Mr. Mitchell does know her country and does know her brumbies."^[3]

Adaptation

The novel was adapted for film in 1993, with the title altered to The Silver Stallion for the US market. The film was directed by John Tatoulis, from a script by Elyne Mitchell, Jon Stephens and John Tatoulis, and featured Caroline Goodall and Russell Crowe.^[4]

The novel was also adapted as an animated television series in 1998; the series consisted of 39 25-minute episodes. The series was written by Judy Malmgren, Jon Stephens and Paul Williams, and featured Brett Climo, Rebecca Gibney and Rhys Muldoon in vocal roles.^[5]

Awards

• 1959 – commended Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers

See also

• Brumby - a free-roaming Australian feral horse
• 1958 in Australian literature

References