THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS...UNICORNS

A child embarks on a quest to find out whether unicorns exist.

When the young narrator’s brother states, “There’s no such thing as unicorns,” the protagonist explores the community to see if he is correct. The child takes a map and binoculars and asks readers, “Could YOU help me, too?” At the farm, the farmer states that unicorns aren’t real. But the child persists. At a crowded zoo, the unicorns “MUST be somewhere hiding / as they’ve disappeared from view.” The narrator continues to search around the lake, in the woods, in the meadow, at the beach, and even in a cave, without success. At school, the teacher also confirms the nonexistence of these fantastical creatures. Though the child is disappointed, in a tender moment, the supportive older brother offers a gentle hug. The kids “make a wish upon a star / that’s shining through the night,” and suddenly a surprise is revealed. Lively rhyming text pairs well with whimsical cartoon drawings of a diverse community. Kids will enjoy scouring the colorful pages for hidden images of rainbows and other hints that perhaps the child’s brother has it wrong. The protagonist is light-skinned with red hair in pigtails; their brother is light-skinned with blond hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining read for unicorn lovers, with a touch of sweetness.