I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley, Lit Pr and the author.

Have You Seen the New Forest Unicorn is an adorable picture book for lovers of unicorns and horses/ponies.
We follow six ponies as they set out on an adventure to find the New Forest Unicorn. I loved meeting these ponies and learning their personalities and the other animal friends they met along the way. The story is divided into short chapters, making it perfect for a classroom read as it can be stopped to talk about as a group discussion at the end of each chapter. The illustrations are delightful and very calming to look at. This is perfect for KS1 children and is a sweet and captivating story.

Oh, well, this was a disappointment. Half a dozen New Forest ponies all want the chance to see a unicorn, and so various other critters get asked about them – and long before you think one alleged unicorn sounds more like a hot-air balloon in its description you realise nobody really has a clue. This in the finish is just a wordy, drama-less, peril-free kind of quest, and when I wanted to enjoy what looked like watercolour-and-ink drawings of the New Forest itself they seemed really stagey. Heartfelt in that the author clearly wanted to honour the ponies she knows in real life in a fictional tribute to their meanderings, it just doesn't work. At best it's some kind of souvenir of the ponies – and even to that end a two star rating seems generous.

I enjoyed this story with all the horse characters within. The main horses characters were Drummer, Merlin, Peewee, Riley, Willow and Juliet.

Drummer, Merlin, Peewee, Riley, Willow and Juliet are the new ponies in the heard. One day Willow hears about a unicorn that has been seen around. She tells the other ponies and they all decided to go looking for the unicorn.

This was a fun story to read. It had action and adventure throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Have You Seen The New Forest Unicorn?' by Carole Smith. Illustrated by Alexandra Wilson.


Read and reviewed paperback for Carole Smith, Alexandra Wilson, INK! By The Author School, Netgalley, Literally PR.

Publication date: 5th July 2023.


This is the first book I have read by this author but most definitely won't be my last!!


My whole family just loved reading this beautiful children's book for ourselves and for/to the children. It is an absolutely beautiful story filled with hope, friendship, animals, humour, gorgeous illustrations, imagination and absolutely everything you could ask for in a delightful and magical children's book!!! There were so many things that I loved about this book and that stood out for me as well as the kids. Before you even start reading this great story Carole has included a list of the characters and tells us a little about each of them which I thought was an absolutely fantastic and thoughtful idea as it gives us more of an insight into each of their personalities. My son also thought it was a great idea and enjoyed pointing out who was who in the illustrations from the descriptions Carole gives us. We all also enjoyed reading the authors note where Carole leaves the reader's with the mystery of whether they will see the New Forest Unicorn if they ever visit the stunning location. I haven't been there myself for many years but Carole's descriptions and Alexandra's beautiful illustrations made me feel like I was there along with Peewee, Willow, Riley, Juliet, Drummer and Merlin the New Forest Colts/fillies who were all born the same time along with all the other great characters that we meet along the way. When I came to the end of the book and read the Authors note I definitely wanted to pack my bags and head to the New Forest myself with the children for another magical adventure.
This book is such a charming and magical read for baby, children and adults alike. Amazon has placed the reading age from 3 years to 12 years old but I am 36 years old and I have 5 year old twin boys and a 10 year old son and we all loved reading/listening to the magical and fun adventures these fantastic friends all got up to and looking at the beautiful and colourful photos. My children loved looking and naming all the different items in the background. This book makes a fantastic bed time story or a beautiful story to read/listen to at home, in school, playgroups or just absolutely anywhere and everywhere!!!All of the animals were absolutely adorable and we all loved seeing all the pictures of them all!! We also had lots of fun naming all the different things that the children could see in the photos and naming all the colours. It is a fantastic book and I would say it is suitable for any child from new-born up. I am looking forward to reading more books by Carole Smith and/or illustrated by the amazing Alexandra Wilson to my children and hope that they are busy writing and illustrating the next one already!


My 10 year old son Malaki had this to say about this book:


I had lots of fun reading this book and looking at the fantastic pictures. I thought it was very funny sometimes especially when the friends thought the hot air was a unicorn!!! There was lots of attention to detail in the pictures. I think it's cool that it is based in the New Forest and I have asked my Mum if we can go and visit there as it sounds like a very cool place!!!! I really liked that at the beginning of the book it tells us all about all the different horses in the books. My favourite characters were Freya the deer and and Merlin the New Forest colt because he thinks he is brave but is really scared. Hunter's favourite character was Super Ted the miniature Shetland Pony as he loved his name and Ryder's favourite character was Lester the pig!! One of my other favourite books are the Adventure Time books and I love colouring and art. My mum told me that Carole has done Adventure Time Colour By Numbers books so I have put them on my birthday and Christmas lists and am hoping I get them as they look lots of fun!! My brother's also loved this book and looking at all the things in the pictures. I give this book a 5/5.


Amazon rates this book suitable for children 3-12 years old. I would rate from baby to 13 years old.


Congratulations Carole and Alexandra on a beautiful book filled with fun and exciting adventures! Myself and my sons are looking forward to reading more of your books. Here is to your next success 🥂


Overall a beautifully illustrated children's book filled with magic, animals, hope, adventure, imagination and dreams.



88 pages


This book is just £4.99 to purchase on kindle and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is a bargain for this book.


Rated 5/5 ( We all loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.



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This was a cute read. It wasn't exactly what I expected. I feel like not much happened. There was also quite a lot of characters for a children's book, it was hard to keep track. The artwork was beautiful though. I really enjoyed the paintings of the horses and other forest animals.

Have You Seen the New Forest Unicorn? by Carole Smith - 5/5
Children's Fiction

This is such a cute and easy read. Something to refresh your mind and enjoy a lighthearted story. The illustrations throughout the story are beautiful, between the horses and the other animals.

Horses believe they saw a unicorn and decide to try to find it. I read this with my 7-year-old, we both really enjoyed our time reading the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for the eARC.

This is just a cute story about a group of wild horses that live in the forest and decide to go on a journey to try to find a unicorn. As they look for a unicorn they come across a few different animals that they make friends with. This would make a great book to read over a few nights to your child. I recommend this for any child from 4 on up Thank you netgalley for letting me read this

I chose this when I was in the mood for a simple, lighthearted read.

This is a charming children's story all about searching for a unicorn. There are some lovely illustrations of horses and other animals. It's a quick, easy read, ideal for children who like unicorns or horses, and it brought a smile to my face too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

A bunch of young horses think they see a unicorn and decide to try and find it. This is a fun, short story with tons of adventure and fun characters. They learn a little about the world and how to be friends.

WoW........Have You Seen The New Forest Unicorn? by Carole Smith, just took my breath away..........This little book was packed with wonderful charm from the very first page till the last. Once I opened and started to read about the free-roaming ponies, You will go on an adventure with Peewee, Riley, Juliet, Willow, Merlin and Drummer they are free-roaming foals, who live as part of their herd of wild ponies in the New Forest. which is a beautiful magical place to visit.

I loved this book especially as it bought back lovely memories of my childhood, I used to go regularly to the New Forest with my late Grandad and 2 sisters. This was our special place......

This will be a joy for any child to read or a parent etc to their children or grand children at night.........Shame I didn't see any Unicorns when we went.lol But every time we went there for a weekend away or on summer holiday or a day trip etc it was always magical. A special place on my heart.

I highly recommend this book and the Illustrations were Lovely.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Especially for letting me be a part of this tour for this lovely book. Thank you Carole xx

While I think the story was cute and great for a second or third grader, I did see many mistakes. Also, I found reading the story to be a bit choppy and didn’t really flow. However my biggest reasoning for my rating is that I didn’t like the amount of teasing and the way the ponies spoke to each other in difficult times. I personally feel stories geared towards children need less of that and more showing how to be caring and how to show empathy to others in difficult times.

First of all, I want to thank the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Have you seen the new forest unicorn by Carole Smith is coming out on July 5, 2023.

This book was really cute and kept my kiddos interest. The book is about a group of wild ponies on a quest to find a unicorn. The illustrations in the book are nicely done. I would recommend this book to any child who is a fan of horses. #HaveYouSeenTheNewForestUnicorn #NetGalley

Peewee, Riley, Juliet, Willow, Merlin and Drummer are foals, who live as part of their herd of wild ponies in the New Forest. After overhearing a snippet of conversation, all six of them become determined to find out whether there really are unicorns in the forest.

Their quest has its ups and downs, because the foals know that their parents - and Ursula, the leader of the herd - will not be happy if they find out that the young horses are sneaking around at night trying to find the unicorn.

And they aren't always in agreement with each other about their methods either. Riley is clever, and Drummer is brave, but Merlin is easily scared, and doesn't like to take the chance of running into a monster instead of a unicorn!

They do find allies in their search, including Delilah (whom they initially mistake for a monster!), senior ponies
SuperTed and Slipper, Lester the Pig and even the majestic Monarch Stag - who must be approached with a special gift before he is asked for any favours.

The story has an important message and some nice illustrations, but the actual storyline didn't quite deliver on its promises. Still, pony-mad youngsters may well enjoy this one.

When a cast of free-roaming ponies contemplates the existence of unicorns, curiosity sparks the herd on a search for the truth. With a number of locations, characters, and novelties to explore, the horses make their way about the forest receiving no satisfying answers until a dark, clear night when they look up to the sky.

Simple both in story and illustration, Have You Seen the New Forest Unicorn is a middle-grade chapter book low in intensity and high in wonder for younger readers. With hope and imagination gently propelling the story, the narrative is a dreamy read for any fans of horses and life at the edge of the forest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.