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THE GREAT UNICORN RACE

Name: THE GREAT UNICORN RACE
Author: Whitney Sanderson
ISBN: 978-1-63163-513-7

From the Unicorns of the Secret Stable series , Vol. 8

by Whitney Sanderson ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2021

Character development and nuance enhance a simple, action-oriented plot.

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Unicorn Guardians Ruby and Iris compete in a race to determine the better rider.

After a near collision on unicorn-back, sisters Ruby and Iris argue about who is at fault: Iris thinks Ruby needs to watch out while Ruby thinks Iris too fearful a rider. Their friend Cole, the Dragon Guardian, suggests a contest to resolve the conflict. He proposes that they race across the Diamond Desert to the Lotus Oasis, where they can find the Lotus Gem—the first to retrieve it wins. Ruby chooses a unicorn for size and strength; Iris opts for a smart unicorn who can “think fast and avoid trouble.” While Ruby’s desire for speed causes costly mistakes, she still manages to overtake Iris and, with single-minded focus, reach the gem first—triggering a calamity. Unable to outrun the trouble she’s accidentally caused, Ruby is lucky that Iris and her clever mount are there to guide her to safety. Ultimately, Ruby thinks Iris is the better rider for listening to her mount while Iris points out that Ruby was on track to win their contest as the faster rider. Discussion questions at the end of the book ask readers which skill is more important, riding fast or riding smart, but the text itself doesn’t denigrate Ruby’s talents to push a moral, landing on an ending that’s both ambiguous and joyful. Illustrated characters present White. Series companions Unique Unicorn, Starberry Magic, and Shadow Stallion publish simultaneously.

Character development and nuance enhance a simple, action-oriented plot. (Fantasy. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-63163-513-7

Page Count: 72

Publisher: Jolly Fish Press

Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020

- BOOK REVIEW
HORSE AND ZEBRA BAKE A CAKE
by Whitney Sanderson ; illustrated by Angelika Scudamore

- BOOK REVIEW
HEARTSONG'S MISSING FOAL
by Whitney Sanderson ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido

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TINY LITTLE ROCKET

by Richard Collingridge ; illustrated by Richard Collingridge ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2018

A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off.

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This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.

Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.

A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: July 31, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LIONHEART
by Richard Collingridge ; illustrated by Richard Collingridge

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WAITING IS NOT EASY!

From the Elephant & Piggie series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 4, 2014

A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends

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Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”

When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.

A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)