I'm a Unicorn

July 4, 2022
Born with just one horn, a saucer-eyed calf decides they’re a unicorn—after all, isn’t that the irrefutable definition in Unicorns: Facts & Myths, a volume that the calf displays to readers? “I’m magical,” says the brown bovine, pirouetting, elated, in crisp white space. But further perusal of the book reveals qualities the protagonist sorely lacks, including a silky mane and the ability to poop rainbows (the latter verified in an extended and sweetly funny potty scene). When two actual unicorns appear—portrayed in the mixed-media art as sparkly, sleek, and self-possessed—the calf abjectly apologizes for being an imposter. But the unicorns are hardly exacting: if you have one horn, you’re one of them. As for not pooping rainbows, a magical parting gift fixes that—“It always works for us,” says one unicorn insouciantly. Yoon’s (Off-Limits) fresh twist on the theme of acceptance is to treat the big moment of acknowledgement not with hugs or celebration, but rather with comic composure—in doing so, offering hope around fears and the bar for belonging. Ages 3–7. Agency: Rubin Pfeffer Content.

June 15, 2022
A magical act of kindness resolves a small creature's big identity crisis. The narrator of this picture book appears to be a small bull calf with only one horn. After the protagonist reads from a book entitled Unicorns: Facts and Myths, that singular protuberance leads to the joyful titular declaration, "I'm a unicorn!" However, further reading and reflection on the matter soon provoke doubts. The narrator doesn't "poop rainbows." Nor do they "sparkle in the sunshine and twinkle in the moonlight," and their mane does not "flow like silk and smell like peach candy." After fretting over other self-perceived deficiencies, the narrator spies "REAL unicorns" in the distance and is terribly worried about what they will think of them. While the cartoon-style illustrations help to enhance the humor of the spare story, with the narrator displaying a range of expressions and contrasting sharply with the colorful elegance of the "REAL unicorns," the resolution may strike some as too quick. It arrives when all concerns are laid to rest when the magical creatures nonchalantly accept the narrator as a unicorn--after all, the protagonist does have only one horn. The unicorns even offer a mysterious orb of a fruit to help with rainbow poops. Still, it's a clever take on a well-trod topic that should spark conversations on identity. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A solid, though not groundbreaking, conversation starter on acceptance and openness. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 1, 2022
Preschool-Kindergarten Just when you think all the unicorn stories have been done, Yoon comes along with this gem. Its protagonist is a young, one-horned cow who is sure that means she's a unicorn. Her barely contained glee is palpable as she peers over the top of her Unicorns: Facts & Myths book and shares how she most assuredly qualifies. Aside from the number-one criteria of having one (uni-) horn (corn), she reads that "unicorns have hooves--check!--are very beautiful--why thank you!" Unfortunately, the next items on the list aren't as encouraging: silky manes, "smell like peach candy," and "their tears turn into lollipops." Cow's eyes begin to water as it dawns on her that she might not actually be a unicorn, and, gosh darn it, the tears that follow aren't lollipops! Cow's chagrin is complete when a pair of actual unicorns walks over; but she receives an unexpected boost of confidence from the magnificent creatures. White-page backgrounds amplify Yoon's simple but highly expressive and hilarious illustrations, and kids will cackle throughout Cow's dramatic emotional journey.

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October 28, 2022

K-Gr 2-Gr K-2 The narrator of this book makes an adorable entrance through the initial pages: first its horn, then its ears, then the top of its head before declaring "I'm a unicorn." But are they? While they have one horn, the rest of their features are decidedly bovine. Our poor narrator is thrown into a tailspin as they read a book about unicorns and realize they lack many of their typical features. However, a passing pair of unicorns declares that they can be a unicorn because they have one horn. The identity crisis is neatly settled. Yoon's artwork is vibrant and expressive. Her small protagonist may not be as sparkly as the other elegant unicorns, but they are chock full of personality. The traditional unicorns are sleek and beautifully posed. There are no backgrounds. The white space allows the reader to focus on the emotions of the large character illustrations. VERDICT While this book has all the tropes present in numerous unicorn books, the theme of personal identity may be enough to differentiate it from other titles in a large collection.-Chance Lee Joyner

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