Once Upon a Unicorn

May 1, 2020
In the Glistening Isles can a unicorn and a night mare be friends? Midnight the young night mare lives in the Whisperwood near the Court of Thistles. She can't control her magical fire the way other night mares can, but she has a Plan to fix that. Meanwhile, Curious the unicorn has a Scientific Mind (or so he thinks); other unicorns do not. He's also friends with Wartle, a puckle; other unicorns find puckles annoying. When Curious' decision to study a wispy wood wink leads him to be trapped by three evil kelpies in the River Restless, it's Midnight who happens upon him. Hoping to prove that night mares are not the evil creatures unicorns think them to be, Midnight decides to rescue him. Interspecies bickering leads to competition for the wispy wood wink--and suddenly pumpkin-headed Jack O' the Hunt the wickedest of Wicked Fairies is after the both of them. When the (possibly, or maybe it's occasionally) good Queen Titania gets involved, it's any fairy's guess if Curious and Midnight will even survive. Anders tiptoes into Terry Pratchett country with this funny and fresh fantasy steeped in Celtic myth. The snarkily omniscient narrator and chapter titles such as "Is This the End? But There Are Still So Many Chapters Left" up the giggle quotient. A distinctive unicorn tale for those seeking a funny-bone tickle. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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June 1, 2020

Gr 3-7-Midnight, a night mare from the Whisperwood, had a plan and it did not involve a unicorn-until she witnessed one being drowned by a group of kelpies in the River Restless. Midnight was going to rescue the unicorn, prove that night mares are better than unicorns, and then return to her original mission. Instead, Midnight now finds herself with Curious, a surprisingly science-minded unicorn, on the other side of the river. When Midnight and Curious discover that they are after the same wispy wood wink, competition and old prejudices surface. However, they are forced to put their differences aside when Jack o' the Hunt, the "worst Wicked Fairy on the Glistening Isles," reveals his pumpkin face and comes after the duo. They will need to cooperate in order to survive, but will they ever get along? This magical tale is told by a wry, omniscient narrator and explores what it truly means to be a friend regardless of superficial differences. VERDICT A good choice for fantasy adventure fans and reluctant middle grade readers alike; purchase where lighthearted fantasies are popular.-Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA

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