Do our local librarians know my little sister, Margo, or what? The library is still doing curbside pickup and we look forward to the surprise books they add to our bag each week. They know that Margo loves unicorns and the picture book they shared has been read aloud at least ten times this week. Luckily, the book is so beautiful none of us minded all the readings!
Uni is a happy unicorn. While she's a typical unicorn, she has her own special differences. She also believes that little girls are real. Everyone else believes they are only made up characters in stories, but Uni just knows in her heart that real girls exist, and she's determined to find one. Everyone talks about Uni like she is silly, but they know she will grow out of her thinking. Not too far away there is a little girl who just knows unicorns are real. Like Uni, people think the little girl will grow up and change her mind. Margo loved looking at all the pictures of Uni. She's been looking for unicorns everywhere since we stopped reading the book. She also seems very proud of being a little girl, like the one in the story.
Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an adorable picture book that will beg to be read again and again. Uni is so sure of her belief that little girls are real, just like the little girl is so sure that unicorns are real. I do hope the two will find each other in the books that follow. The illustrations by Brigette Barrager are bold and beautiful. I love the bright colors, as they add even more magic to this sweet story. I love the way Uni and the little girl have similar experiences. I know this will be a big hit with anyone who loves unicorns. I have enjoyed many books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal in the past and this was another winner. I already know that Margo will be asking for a Uni the Unicorn book next week! Personally, I am excited to read one too.
Has anyone else read Uni the Unicorn? Or have you read another book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
We're excited to feature Unicorn Island by Donna Galanti this week. Read our review here, and take a look at some of the exciting news about this new middle grade book.
Book Excerpt
In New York City, lights twinkled across Sam’s ceiling all night long. She had never felt lonely there, knowing the city was awake with her. She could already tell Foggy Harbor was different. It looked like the loneliest place ever. Why would anyone live here on purpose? she wondered.
The driver pulled into the bus station. A neon sign that should have flashed Foggy Harbor Parking was missing most of its letters. BOR . . . ING. Some sign, she thought. I’m already bored here.
“You got someone picking you up, Miss?” the driver asked as he pulled her suitcase from the luggage compartment.
Her t-shirt clung to her in the heavy, muggy air. Sam checked her phone for the address Mom had given her: 1 Foggy Way.
“My uncle lives a block from here,” she said, pointing at the street sign.
The driver nodded and pulled out of the station, leaving her under the broken sign. Sam texted Mom one word out of duty: ARRIVED. With no choice but to find her new home, she adjusted her backpack and popped up her suitcase handle, dragging it along. It clickety-clacked all the way down the quiet street.
Uncle Mitch’s stone house sat at the end, alone and secluded, hugging the ocean. Its sloped roof pierced the murky sky. One light glowed in a back window. Crickets trilled around the house, creating an eerie buzz as waves lapped the shore.
Sam crunched over the walking path made of shells, then thumped up the front porch steps and rang the doorbell, eager to escape the empty night.
After a few minutes, the door was yanked open. A tall man with curly black hair and a bushy mustache loomed over Sam, the porch light deepening his frown. “Yes?”
Sam swallowed hard. “Uncle Mitch?”
His eyes grew wide and he pulled her inside, slamming the door. “Samantha? What are you doing here?”
Cool air washed over her from a ceiling fan that whirred above, and she shivered, shrinking under his glare. Then she remembered what Mom had said: He’s the only family we’ve got.
Beyond the mist lies a magical secret waiting to be discovered. Unicorn Island is a middle-grade illustrated novel series about a young girl who discovers a mysterious island full of mythical beasts and darker dangers! When Sam arrives in Foggy Harbor, population 3,230, all she can see is a small, boring town that’s way too far from home. And knowing that she’s stuck there all summer with her grumpy Uncle Mitch only makes things worse. But when Sam discovers a hidden trapdoor leading to a room full of strange artifacts, she realizes Foggy Harbor isn’t as sleepy as it seems. With the help of a new friend, Sam discovers an extraordinary secret beyond the fog: an island of unicorns whose fates are intertwined with hers.
“An accessible and fast-paced magical adventure.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“An all-too-human, enchanting middle grade fantasy novel.”
– Forward Reviews
“What begins as realistic fiction turns to a fantastical tale of magical rescue. Fans of unicorns and magic in the real world will enjoy this adventure.”
– School Library Journal
Book information Grade Level: 4 – 6 Hardcover: 224 pages ISBN-10: 1524864706 ISBN-13: 978-1524864705 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (February 9, 2021) Reading level: 8 - 12 years
Donna Galanti is the author of the middle grade adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road, which the Midwest Book Review called, “A heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish”. She’s also the author of the follow up, Joshua and the Arrow Realm, and writes the popular Unicorn Island series for Epic, the leading digital platform for kids 12 and under. Donna is a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, a member of From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors blog, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools. She also loves teaching at writing conferences on marketing and craft and through her Udemy online courses. Donna has lived in England as a child, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.
