Jump the Moon



IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards – Gold Winner, Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book from a New Publisher

Listen to your heart, trust your gut, and dream big!​

Ponies were always coming and going at the barn, that was nothing new, but as summer begins the girl with the long blonde hair notices something about the newest pony that she can’t quite put her finger on. 

This pony is ordinary, ugly even, and on top of that she is mean. But the girl doesn’t seem to care, she is drawn to her and determined to earn the pony’s trust. Over the course of the summer, the pair develop an incredible bond. But, tragically, as summer ends the two are separated.

Young readers will eagerly turn the pages to find out if the girl and the pony will ever see each other again. 

Beautiful illustrations from award-winning illustrator, Marjorie van Heerdan, paired with a dynamic tale inspired by a true story bring to life an emotional journey that will make readers of all ages cry, smile, and cheer. 

Jump the Moon makes a perfect gift for horse-loving kids and will inspire any child to follow their dreams! 



Kathy Simmers always wanted to live on a farm with horses. When she was twelve years old, she started taking riding lessons. At nineteen she bought her first horse. It seemed like she was well on her way, but life doesn’t always go in a straight line. Though Kathy faced many obstacles she never gave up on her dream. Today Kathy & her husband live on a farm in North Carolina with horses, llamas, a small herd of goats, cats, a dog, and some chickens. Kathy’s journey is the inspiration for her stories. The girl with the long blonde hair is her daughter and the true story that Jump the Moon is based on unfolded before her eyes. Living it was initially exciting, at times heartbreaking and ultimately one of the most inspiring experiences she has ever known. 

Marjorie Van Heerdan was three months old the first time she "rode" a horse. Her best friend as a child was her horse, Billie Boy. She grew up on a farm on the southernmost tip of Africa, where she drew what she saw around her: animals and people and dragons and monsters and fairies. Today they appear in her more than 120 children's books. Her award-winning work has been translated into thirty-five languages and has been published in Africa, England, Europe, the United States, China, and Malaysia.