It goes without saying that some franchises are done better than others. This is one of the better ones I can remember witnessing. Part of a spread of books detailing an invented world of eight different species of unicorn, this might be the fourth or fifth book in the set but to me flagged this up as a really commendable effort. Here all eight types (mountain, desert, flowers, weather, etc) are briefly introduced, and then in turn each has an eight- or ten-page story from the archives of these alleged unicorn researchers.

And OK the book shows how potent cheap colour is, to misquote Noel Coward. Just because we get detailed borders and coloured paper each page-turn (which makes this dreadful for dyslexics) doesn't automatically mean this has had a lot of effort put in. Just because the artwork is fine, and the overall appearance is quite radiant, doesn't mean this is essential. It could have been twee, childish and naff, but it isn't – the first story has a lot more drama in it than a quick view of a virginal kind of critter, and in baby form, should by rights be expected to have.

And the strong story-telling only continues – a battle with a demonic drought-bringer in a parched desert, a Pacific sea monster that needs besting, and a true globe-trotting ethos. It's not perfect – the third story bodges the "was it only a dream?" beat, and a rags-to-riches fairy tale has just too much cheese. But these tales are fine, and the whole shtick about the Magical Unicorn Society existing and being a real-world entity for you to aspire to join is going to give many a young reader a real sense of belonging. This unicorn-filled world is one of bravery, friendship and compassion galore, which might have been sickly sweet and cloying, but if you are going to make books that sell such a world to young audiences this is definitely the way to do it. Four and a half sparkleberries.

I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honestreview from Tandem Collective UK and the publishers.

Baby Unicorns is a stunning book from front to back cover. Anyone who loves unicorns will adore this book! The book is set out with each of the eight types of the unicorns having their own page of facts and information followed by a short story to accompany them. Each story is beautifully told and involves a youngling unicorn and a special relationship they form with another baby animal. Just adorable! Even humans get a spot in this magical world as each unicorn also bonds with a human too for life. The differences between adult and young unicorns is beautifully told and the back of the book even has a quiz for the reader to discover what type of unicorn family you belong to. Everything you could possibly want to discover and learn about unicorns is showcased in this book. This would make an amazing present for any unicorn lover young or old.

Review to come to blog/goodreads/etc.. on September 27th.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

Having read the first two books in The Magical Unicorn Society series I was definitely curious about this new addition which promised to be all about baby unicorns + stories with them! And I am very happy that I read this one as it was fun, I do have some small criticism though, which I will mention after that good things~

The good things:
😍 I loved meeting each new unicorn baby and getting to know more about them and how they look, their powers and more. It was very fun to read and the unicorns were very adorable.
😍 The stories that accompanied each unicorn. We get some older stories (more mythology) and then also some more modern stories, I loved that. I also loved that we went all over the globe for each story. From Antarctica to the hot dessert. I really enjoyed reading the stories and seeing the unicorns play a big part in it. Spreading their magic and happiness.
😍 The absolutely stunning art which I already loved in the earlier books. Not only do we get gorgeous illustrations but each page is also an illustration. You get a square part in the middle with the story and around it is pretty colours and scenery of the story. It made for a wonderful and magical reading experience!
😍 Loved the quiz/decision tree, though it didn't entirely work for my ecopy, but I did get the gist and it was quite cute and fun.

😶 The only criticism I had was that it was a bit one-sided. We get an intro to each new unicorn and then a story. I would have liked to get just a bit more. Some more information on the unicorns, little facts here and there. Maybe a quiz or some fun DIY to do with the unicorn and the story in question.

But all in all, I am very happy I got to read this book and I am definitely going to check out the other books I missed! If you like unicorns and fun stories be sure to check this one out.

Liked:
Very colourful - liked what I presume would be double page spreads where in one page the sky is daylit and the other it's night. It's a sweet idea and feels very earnest. Appreciated the attempt to show lots of different cultures.

Disliked:
Didn't love the illustration style for the unicorns themselves: the faces were overly simplistic with odd mouths, and their limbs were often not particularly realistic. Obviously we don't need anatomical drawings here, but it could have edged more towards the configuration of a real horse's body. The stories all felt very, very similar, and the vocabulary left me wondering who this book was for: there were a lot of long, complex or archaic words that I can't imagine younger children wanting or indeed needing to learn.

I never understood my students' fascination about, or maybe even addiction to, unicorns but now I do. This book is truly magical, full of fun facts about different types of unicorns. There is also a story behind each unicorn.

It is a perfect book to introduce students to ways of planning a story.