The tail of Tony
Identity
Tony discovers how to celebrate who he is and what he looks like compared to his friends. The book explores what it means to be delightfully different and dearly loved.
Friendship
Throughout the book Tony is surrounded by friends from when he was just a young pony in Dallas, to making new friends in the big city of New York.
Gratitude
The wise Gardener helps Tony to understand what is means to be content and be grateful for what you have. The greatest gift of all is to love and be loved in return.
Author
Jonathan Flores
Jonathan is an emerging children’s book author, who is passionate about helping children of all ages know they are loved and valued, and find joy in a world that can feel overwhelming. He has extensive experience working with and caring for children from his time working in an orphanage and street center in Mexico, as well as time spent working with children and young people in church settings, and family homes in New York City. With a honed talent for acting, comedy and improv, he is bringing this experience together through his first children’s book, ‘The Adventures of Tony the Pony’.
Jonathan grew up in Dallas, Texas and he currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Heather. They enjoy looking for joyful moments in the city with regular walks and listening to the birds sing.
Photography by Holland Rainwater.
Illustrator
David Chang
David Chang is a renowned artist who has pursued the art of western calligraphy for the past 20 years. His masterful study of calligraphy is driven by a passion for “bringing the essence of a word or message to life.” Chang's calligraphic mark —vacillating between traditional scripts and contemporary abstraction— issues statements of personal, cultural, and spiritual awareness while retaining a formal beauty full of urgency and redemption.
David was first introduced to the rhythm and art of writing through Spencerian penmanship, and his work has since appeared in numerous shows and institutions, including Onishi Gallery, Clemente Soto Velez Center, Waterfall Mansion, Pratt Institute, Calvary Saint George’s, and the Society of Scribes at the National Arts Club. Notably, his calligraphy has also been prominently featured in the internationally acclaimed film mother! (2017).