"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Unicorn NOT Wanted is the perfect solution for those who are tired of unicorns. It's also very fun to read out loud, although my dog was concerned about the waaaaaahhs.

It would be a fun book to read with kids and splitting parts if they are of reading age.

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Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Happy Yak, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Unicorns *Not* Wanted offers a fun response to the current cultural obsession with unicorns. I really enjoyed the playful art style and the silliness of how the unicorn and pug disguised themselves in an effort to try to be included in the book.

However, while I realize that this book isn’t *supposed* to be taken too seriously, I do not think that the inclusion of the unicorn throwing a temper tantrum which then results in the author caving in to her demand to be included in the book is a wise decision. Every children’s book is learning opportunity for our young readers, and presenting this behavior as an effective choice seems irresponsible.

Additionally, I wish that the book had included *some* sort of actual storyline rather than “just ending because they had reached then end of the pages for the book.

Overall, it was cute, it I wish it had a little more substance and one less dramatic temper tantrum.

With hints to how amazing unicorns are, this book was hilarious. Each page held something different, something unexpected. The humor and the colorful illustrations led to a wonderful story ultimately about unicorns, although it said it would definitely not be a story of unicorns. This is a book I’d get for every family if I could, as it shows you should be your true self, even when others doubt your abilities! Loved it!

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. If you have a child who enjoys silly books, they will love this one!

Unicorn NOT Wanted by Fred Blunt is a humorous and playful take on the current trend of unicorn books, but with a twist. The story follows a farm girl who has everything she wants, except for a unicorn. She insists that she is not interested in having one, but when a horse with a hidden secret arrives, the girl’s perception of unicorns is challenged.

The book takes a satirical approach towards the popularity of unicorn stories, highlighting the absurdity of the trend in a light-hearted way. The illustrations are colorful and full of details, making it a fun read for young children.

Despite its comical nature, the book carries a positive message about not stereotyping people and being true to oneself. The protagonist learns that things are not always as they seem, and that it's important to keep an open mind.

Unicorn NOT Wanted is a great addition to any child’s book collection. It's a perfect read for parents and teachers who want to impart the values of acceptance and diversity to children. The book shows that it's okay to be different and that everyone deserves a chance to be understood.

Adorable. My kids both loved this book and we’ve already read it several times. They love the talking back and forth books, reminiscent of Mo Willems and the illustrations were so cute. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends with kids.

Children's books are saturated by unicorn right now! It' ok though - this book is absolutely 100% not about unicorns. Unicorns aren't allowed, or pugs! The author has made sure by setting the story in The Wild West. No unicorns (or pugs) live in The Wild West do they?! Well you'd think not but there's a dynamic duo waiting to scupper the authors plans. Unicorn and pug are desperate to be in the story and they do their very best to disguise themselves. However, the author isn't fooled and tries to remove the pair from the story.

My daughter, who's 6, loved the fact that the author/ narrator's voice was very present in the book and made her feel very included. She also guessed straight away that the unicorn was masquerading as a horse with the horn hidden under the very tall hat. The illustrations are brilliant with lots of fun things to look at. There's also lots of brilliant speech bubbles that encourage children to use a different voice to enact the character. Our favourite page is when unicorn gets really empowered on the rainbow page - 'you go girl!' as Pug says.

A romp of a read, super funny, but tender and empowering too. We loved it.

Well, if you want to get any little girl to read a book put a unicorn and a pug in it. That'll do it for sure. This a cute and fun story involving just that. A Unicorn and a pug. There's enough cowboy and action like things too to get a little boy or non-pink/unicorn lover to also enjoy this book.

This exuberant little picture book is all about someone trying to tell a story without unicorns, but a unicorn and a pug are determined to be a part of the story anyway. The pictures are bright and colorful and kids will have fun recognizing the pug and the unicorn who are trying to sneak into the book. It's a fine book.

We really liked this fun, silly read about a unicorn and a pug. Pugs are amazing, mythical creatures and unicorns are cool too. We appreciated the nod to pug’s lack of swimming skills because accuracy is important. It kinda was all gag though and didn’t really have a story, would have been nice to see these two actually prove why they are awesome and to know their names.
But it was cute overall and our pug gives it three paws out of four.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.

This story was so much fun to read! In a story that promises no unicorns, there is a very persistent unicorn (and a pug as well)! These two characters keep trying to sneak into the story through various disguises, but by the end, the narrator gives in and allows the story to tell itself.

This would make such a fun story for story time and read alouds. I'm sure that there would be lots of laughs from young readers. I appreciated how the author chose to have the Unicorn and Pug stand up for themselves when the narrator spoke to them unkindly - I think they handled that situation in a way that could be adopted by kids dealing with conflict in their own lives.

Unicorn NOT Wanted by Fred Blunt - 5/5

This is just the cutest unicorn picture story ever! An uninvited unicorn steals the story with this funny story picture book. The illustrations are adorable, and the unicorn always kept us on our toes with what will happens next.

What a silly and adorable story! With so many students looking for unicorn books, I am always on the lookout for those that aren’t overly princess based and this one checked all the boxes!

This was an incredibly cute story about standing out and being unique. This teaches that you can be yourself and don’t have to just blend in.

Everyone loves a good unicorn story, right? Apparently, not everyone does. The narrator wants a good old fashioned cowboy story. Well, this non-unicorn intended book turns out to have the opposite effect!

As a 3rd grade teacher I LOVE reading stories to my students and find their viewpoints to be incredibly honest. I was excited to read Unicorn Not Wanted to them. The kids really did love it! They thought it was especially funny when Pug told Unicorn "You go, girl." The humor is just right for 8-9 year olds! My student pointed out what the author was trying to say...it's okay to stand out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Happy Yak Publishing for this advanced read!

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Blunt captures the current unicorn phenomenon in children's publishing. Readers will appreciate the humor as the unicorn and pug crash the story about the Wild West. In fact, they make the whole book about themselves so the story the author wants to tell only gets one page. Younger readers may not understand the underlying satire but will appreciate seeing some of their favorite types of characters participate. Older readers will appreciate the concepts behind the basic story. The illustrations pop and offer another way for readers to connect. Looking forward to sharing this one with classes.

This book started out silly and fun with the unicorn and Pug wanting to be in the story. It takes a turn when the unicorn throws a massive tantrum to get her way and it works. That isn’t the message I want to send my kids. The story line abruptly ends and no story is actually ever told when they run out of pages. This book had good potential but missed the mark.

An entertaining and unique approach to a unicorn book: an anti-unicorn book! A perfect book to read aloud at a story time since it’s interactive and full of laughs!

In Unicorn NOT Wanted, which starts out as a story that definitely, positively does NOT have unicorns (or pugs), quickly turns into a story where the unicorn (and pug) very much wants to provide the adventure and drama that the narrator promises at the beginning.

Younger readers will love a storytime that shows the bright art and funny ways the animals insert themselves into the story. This book could also be adapted into a lesson about points of view, as the narrator and the animals fight throughout, or a lesson about the value of being unique.