Barrington author and illustrator Mary Jane Begin will unveil her highly anticipated second My Little Pony book in a special event at Barrington Books on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.

"My Little Pony: Dragons on Dazzle Island" will be the centerpiece for a party that will include a reading from the new book, an author-led drawing game, and many My Little Pony-themed giveaways. 

"I'm very proud of the story," wrote Ms. Begin in a recent email. "The book is about finding a place in your heart to care about someone else's babies, even if you're a pony and they are a dragon! This theme holds meaning for me in our especially turbulent times, with children from all around the world needing our open hearts. 'Hug with all your Heart!' is the message I want children and parents to discover as they read this new tale."

"My Little Pony: Dragons on Dazzle Island" follows Ms. Begin's first My Little Pony book "Under the Sparkling Sea."

"I worked on the story for several months starting at the end of 2014, with back and forth between Hasbro and Little Brown, the publisher," Ms. Begin wrote. "By the spring of 2015 I did a storyboard and sketches, again, with approval from everyone and by the summer I was in my studio on Bay Road, painting full time!  

"I finished the paintings — while writing a course for Lynda.com and teaching at RISD — a few days shy of Christmas. The paintings are water color and pastel, and will be on view at the National Museum of American Illustration in Newport in August 2017."

Ms. Begin is a senior critic in the illustration department at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she has taught for 24 years and serves as the internship and professional development advisor. Her latest teaching venture includes online video courses with Lynda.com: The Foundations of Color, Elements of Composition for Illustrators, Artist at Work series and Character Development and Design.  

She is an award-winning illustrator and author known for her acclaimed picture books "Little Mouse’s Painting," "A Mouse Told His Mother," "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" and "Willow Buds, tales inspired by The Wind in the Willows," a classic tale that she also illustrated.