I'm not really a fan of unicorns, but I have a lot of kids who are - they like "pretty" unicorns, not so much the humorous ones though. I am a fan of Briony May Smith's rustic, cozy and fantastical art, which I first encountered in Imelda and the goblin king. So put Smith and unicorns together and I am there!
Margaret, a sturdy little girl with flyaway brown hair, plaid skirt, and cozy red sweater, narrates the story of the magical events of one year. In the autumn she moves to a new home "in the mountains" with her parents and goes out to explore on her first day. There she sees a herd of magical unicorns in the clouds and finds a dappled grey unicorn colt, complete with long, silky tail, left behind.
With the help of her grandmother and parents, Margaret cares for her magical new friend. She comes to love the beauty of the mountains and makes new friends there, but her unicorn is always with her. When spring comes and the unicorns return, Margaret sadly lets her friend go, back to his herd. She sees him once more time, the following year, when he is grown and stops briefly to see her then goes back to his herd. She tells her friend, Abbie, "That was an old friend." and the two happily return to Margaret's new home.
This is a little lengthy for a storytime read-aloud, but unicorn fans and those who love heartwarming, magical stories will be delighted by the beauty of nature and the unicorns in this joyful story of friendship and new experiences.
Verdict: A must-have for your elementary unicorn fans, it also makes a lovely read-aloud for older listeners.
ISBN: 9781984896537; Published September 2020 by Schwartz and Wade Books; Purchased for the library
2 comments:
I like that this is sort of an"ordinary" unicorn- one that could just show up in one's yard. Interesting. May have to take a look.
Thank you for featuring this, which was not on my radar!
I'm looking forward to giving it a closer look.
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