Unicorns have been hot this year! If you have a young unicorn lover on your shopping list, these are the books to make their dreams come true.
Picture Books
How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Andy Elkerton (Sourcebooks, 2019). This funny rhyming book, one of a series about catching magical creatures, is filled with zany fun.
Uni the Unicorn by Amy Kraus Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigitte Barrager (Random House, 2017). This picture book about a unicorn who believes that little girls are real is a testament to the power of believing and a sweet story for young unicorn fans. There are quite a few books about Uni, including more picture books and some easy readers, too.
A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2016). When Lucy sees an ad in the newspaper for a unicorn, she sends in her 25 cents and waits 4-6 weeks for her unicorn to arrive. But when he does... he looks nothing like what she thought... and he has fleas. Can Lucy love this unusual unicorn? There are some other books about Sparkle, so consider adding A Unicorn Named Sparkle and the Pumpkin Monster (Halloween), A New Friend for Sparkle, and A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas to make a complete set.
Unicorn Puzzles by Sam Loman (Windmill Books, 2019). For unicorn fans who like their books a little more interactive or if you're looking for some boredom busters for the winter days ahead, this might be a good choice.
Unicorns 101 by Cale Atkinson (Doubleday, 2019). This hilarious picture book sets the record straight about unicorns. Professors Glitter Pants, Sprinkle Steed, Star Hoof, and Sugar Beard, along with their lab assistant Pete, present all kinds of amazing scientific facts about unicorns.
The Unicorns Who Saved Christmas by Mary Winn Heider, illustrated by Christian Cornia (Running Press Kids, 2020). When Santa's reindeer come down with the chicken pox on Christmas Eve, can the unicorns save Christmas?
You Don't Want a Unicorn by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Liz Climo (Little, Brown 2017). Ame Dyckman was an author mentioned over and over again when I asked for suggestions of laugh out loud picture books, so if you're looking for funny books, this might be the one for you. When a little boy wishes for a unicorn pet, he has no idea what he's getting himself into!
Chapter Books
Bo's Magical New Friend (Unicorn Diaries) by Rebecca Elliott (Scholastic, 2020). Rebecca Elliott is much beloved for her early chapter book series Owl Diaries and her new unicorn series is quickly becoming just as beloved at my library. I know a young unicorn fan who's getting this series about Rainbow Tinseltail and the unicorns of Sparklegrove Forest for Christmas. If you have a new chapter book reader in your life, this is the one to get. Pick up Bo and the Dragon-Pup (Unicorn Diaries #2) and Bo the Brave (Unicorn Diaries #3) for a fun gift set.
The Creature of the Pines (Unicorn Rescue Society) by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly (Dutton, 2018). Okay, so this one's about all kinds of different magical creatures, so maybe not for unicorn purists, but it's a fun fantasy adventure series that's been really popular at my library. Elliot and Uchenna belong to a secret adventuring society called the Unicorn Rescue Society, charged with defending the world's mythical creatures. This is a good bet for young fantasy readers.
Grumpy Unicorn by Joey Spiotto (Scholastic, 2019). This funny graphic novel series stars the world's grumpiest unicorn. If Grumpy Cat was a unicorn, this is the book you would get.
Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker by J. C. Phillips (Random House, 2020). When Pacey finds herself transported to a magical world to rescue her little sister, it's nothing like she expected it to be. And she's stuck with a sarcastic unicorn sidekick in this funny graphic novel.
Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson (Andrews McMeel, 2014). When Phoebe skips a rock across a pond and accidentally hits a unicorn in the face, so begins a friendship for the ages. Phoebe and her unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, have many adventures together in this funny graphic novel series that's so far lasted 11 books and is super popular with my library patrons. Consider a boxed set for a perfect holiday gift.
Sparkly New Friends (Unicorn & Yeti) by Heather Ayris Burnell, illustrated by Quintanilla (Scholastic, 2019). Here's another early chapter book series that's filled with unicorn fun. Unicorn and Yeti are best friends even though they're opposites in a lot of ways. Fans of Frog & Toad or Bink & Gollie will enjoy this fun series, too. Pick up the rest of the books in the series for a nice package: #2 A Good Team, #3 Friends Rock, and #4 Cheer Up.
For the first 12 days of November, I'll be posting a list of children's books perfect for gift giving this holiday season. Check out the full list of lists here to see what's coming. All the lists link to IndieBound to make it easy for you to find an independent bookstore to buy from (and as an IndieBound affiliate, shopping through those links supports me, too!). Independent bookstores need our support more than ever this year, so please shop local if you can or if you don't have a local independent bookstore, please consider ordering online from my local indie Carmichael's Bookstore.