THIS IS NOT A UNICORN!

If it’s not a unicorn, what could it be?

In short, rhyming verse, a little gray bird addresses both readers and a young Black child. The bird introduces a special animal with a sparkling horn but warns that it shouldn’t be confused with a unicorn. What follows is page after page of wordplay well supported by colorful and fanciful illustrations. The creature in question isn’t a unicorn; it’s a “spoon-icorn” (we see its horn become a spoon that helps it dole out ice cream). It’s not a unicorn; it’s “a make-a-secret-wish-icorn” (here, the horn becomes a wish-granting magic wand). It’s not a unicorn; it’s a “hover-in-the-air-icorn” (the horn becomes the whirring blade of a helicopter). Because this special animal is so clever, it needs a special name. Of course! It’s not a unicorn; it’s the “perfect-friend-for-you-nicorn,” or a “you-nicorn” for short. Over the course of this imaginative story, the child and the not-a-unicorn visit a castle, backpack through a jungle, and rocket to the moon. This book will be a hit with children who love unicorns or wordplay; many readers will enjoy coming up with their own examples. Pair this book with a stuffed unicorn with a sparkling horn for the perfect gift. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quirky fun that will have kids dreaming about their own unicorn pals and engaging in wordplay.