JULIE GEROND AND THE POLKA DOT PONY. Oberman, Sheldon. Music by Fred Penner. Illustrated by Alan Pakarnyk. Winnipeg. Hyperion Press, 1988. 32pp, paper, $7.95, ISBN 0-920534-70-8. Kindergarten to Grade 2 Reviewed by Pearl Herscovitch Volume 16 Number 5 1988 September Julie Gerond has been adapted from a Fred Penner song and is the fourth in a continuing series by Canada's well-known children's entertainer. This is the story of a little girl who loves to ride the polka-dot pony on the merry-go-round at the summer fair. When the wicked old woman who runs the ride decides to pack up and move on. Julie is devastated and begins to cry. Her tears awaken the pony from a spell cast by the wicked woman and Julie promises to return at midnight to free the pony from the pole that keeps him enchanted. Julie's dangerous escapade involves sawing the pole while the witch snores, stretches and finally awakens just as the pony's hooves touch the ground. Night turns to day as Julie and the pony ride safely off to the " shimmering sea." A very slight story has been worsened by a poor sense of rhythm and some clumsy rhymes. Put to music the lyrics might take on a different dimension, but, regrettably, the music has not been included. The illustrations are amateurish and dull. The picture-book format adds little to the song itself. Not recommended. Pearl Herscovitch, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.