What Is the Story of My Little Pony?

What Is the Story of My Little Pony?

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time. In this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series, young readers will discover the exciting story of the beloved ponies, unicorns, and other fanciful characters of the My Little Pony universe! When Hasbro's pony toys first hit shelves in 1981, they were originally called My Pretty Pony . By 1982, the toys were renamed My Little Pony and the world of rainbow-colored horses with hair you could brush began capturing the hearts of children everywhere. These pony characters soon became the stars of cartoons, movies, and video games. Today, the ponies look far different than they did forty years ago, but fans of all ages are still all-in on their favorites -- including Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie -- who encourage imagination, friendship, and kindness. Kirsten Mayer has written several books for children, including Game of Gnomes and Go BIG or Go Gnome! . Andrew Thomson is an illustrator and artist, currently living and working near Guildford in the south of England. He studied illustration in Preston and graduated in 2010, and has been exchanging pictures for money ever since. What Is the Story of My Little Pony?   During 2019, there were over twenty conventions all over the world where fans gathered to celebrate their favorite cartoon show and its stars. Thousands of people celebrated together in cities all over the United States and Europe. Thailand, China, and even Australia hosted events and cruises. One event reached a record of ten thousand attendees! All these people, both grown--ups and kids, were fans of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. At the events, everyone could attend panels featuring the voice actors from the show and share handmade items such as plush ponies, sparkly nail polish, artwork, and more that were inspired by the animated series. Many fans made their own costumes to dress up as their favorite character by wearing wigs, unicorn horns, and feathered wings. Some even made hooves to wear over their shoes! A few costumes weren’t meant to look like Pony characters, but were inspired by them, using certain colors and symbols such as moons and suns on fancy dresses and capes. Fans were able to show off their creativity and admire everyone else’s, too. In fact, one major appeal of these conventions was to simply meet each other, make new friends, and admire the costumes and crafts. Fans wanted to live up to the name of the show and extend friendship to their fellow fans. For decades, My Little Pony has grown with each generation, reaching around the world and across all ages to build a fan base of millions. From the first little girls who played with them in the 1980s to children today, these classic characters continue to spread a magical message of friendship and empowerment.   Chapter 1 A Tale of Three Brothers   My Little Pony figures are produced by a large toy company called Hasbro that also makes games, television shows, and films that are popular all over the world. The huge company it is today has come a long way from its small origins. The Hassenfeld family immigrated to the United States from Poland. In 1923, brothers Herman, Hillel, and Henry Hassenfeld started a family company in Providence, Rhode Island. At first, they sold leftover fabric pieces, then started making and selling pencil cases and, eventually, the pencils to go inside them. Three years later, Hillel left to do other things, and his brother Henry took charge of the Hassenfeld Brothers company with Herman. In the 1940s, Henry introduced some new products—-toys! Some of the first toys they sold were doctor and nurse playsets and modeling clay. Soon their toy business was bigger than the pencil business had been. Henry continued to expand not only by creating his own toy ideas, but also by buying ideas from people outside the company. In 1952, the brothers had their first major hit with a toy called Mr. Potato Head. They had purchased rights to the toy from creator George Lerner. Unlike the modern plastic version, the original set included pieces that kids could push into a real potato. Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on television. The company created some of the toys, bought others from inventors, and grew bigger by buying other companies and their valuable toy and game products. As control passed to a new generation, with Henry’s son Merrill taking over, the company eventually became Hasbro, Inc. The Hasbro name is a combination of the two words Hassenfeld Brothers. Hasbro’s next big hit was G.I. Joe action figures, first made in 1964. The soldier toys looked like members of the armed forces and were a success as a gift for young boys. Meanwhile, another toy company called Mattel had released one of the most popular toys of all time—-the Barbie doll. The team at Hasbro wanted a product to compete with that, a toy tha