WHAT ARE UNICORNS MADE OF?

Sugar-filled unicorns leap across the pages of this board book.

The premise of this sweet addition to unicorn lore is that these magical creatures are filled with treats. Unicorns prance across each solid-colored pastel spread along with cartoon rabbits, foxes, and birds as well as smiling clouds, lollipops, cupcakes, hearts, mushrooms, and flowers. Rhyming verses spin hypotheses that answer the titular question, “what’s inside a unicorn?” Then, part by part, pictures show what goes into them. Jelly beans and “yummy pink popcorn” fill their tummies, manes are made of marshmallow and ice cream, “horns are filled with butterflies,” and hooves glitter with music. Key words from each verse (rainbows, twinkling, pretty music, etc.) are repeated in display type amid the decorative background. Unfortunately, children of board-book age may not connect words and pictures. The stylized popcorn could be flowers, for instance, and at times hearts and stars also decorate the unicorns. It’s whimsical, yes, but also busy and distracting. The rhyming text is on the long side for toddlers. The final page presents a pop-up pink unicorn on a rainbow, with a pink castle in the background, seemingly trying to bring the disparate elements together. Ultimately, this fantasy world is too complex for the board-book audience and not focused enough for preschoolers.

Gimmicky and sweet, it could help fill a niche need for readers captivated by unicorns.