The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn's Great Big Wish

February 1, 2025
Ever wondered where unicorns come from? The titular character--introduced inThe Teeny-Weeny Unicorn (2024)--has always wanted to make a wish to become big, but he's missed every opportunity; he was sleeping when a shooting star flew by, and he was too small to throw a lucky penny into the wishing well. One day, his parents have an important announcement, but the unicorn is too busy to pay attention--he's just accidentally summoned a brown-skinned fairy princess. She invites the unicorn to "find for me something that grows teeny-weeny-er than you." He fails repeatedly in this quest, until a tree drops a small bud. But by the time the unicorn meets the fairy again, the bud has burst wide open. Is all lost? No! Inside is an even smaller unicorn, and our hero learns that he's going to be a big sibling (that was his parents' news). Wielding deft chalk pastels, Harris evokes incredible emotions from his minuscule protagonist. The text reads aloud so well that it brings to mind classic stories such as Paul Galdone'sThe Teeny-Tiny Woman. Though charming, Harris' storytelling yields some confusion: How did the parents know a baby unicorn was coming before our protagonist even found the bud? Even so, one would be hard-pressed to resist this little unicorn's adorable exploits. No need to wish for another delightful unicorn tale. It's already been granted.(Picture book. 3-6)

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March 1, 2025
The teeny-weeny unicorn is back, just as small, just as smudgy, and just as pink as he was in his original appearance in The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn (rev. 1/24). His goal in life remains unchanged -- get bigger -- but this time he has a genuine fairy-tale quest to undertake. A fairy princess charges him with a task: "Find for me something that grows teeny-weeny-er than you." On his epic travels our unicorn encounters a stork (foreshadowing!), a hairy leprechaun, a fierce dragon, and a wise old tree. As with many classic heroes, after a dark night of the soul our unicorn eventually finds his answer close to home. The cover teaser promises that we will discover where baby unicorns come from, and we do, but we also find out the answers to other vital questions such as what do leprechauns say to get attention? and do unicorns blush? An irresistible read-aloud if only for the pleasure of saying "teeny-weeny-er" five times. Fine-tuned wackiness, and an original, deadpan addition to the body of literature celebrating new siblings. Sarah Ellis

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from March 1, 2025
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* The teeny-weeny unicorn is back for a new adventure, and here his journey is magical, as one would expect from a unicorn, and full of inventive, silly surprises, as one would expect from author-illustrator Harris. The unicorn's actions and expressions, as rendered in chalk pastels, continue to be lively and funny. The unicorn is trying to make a wish and is taking the idea very seriously. Unfortunately, he is too small to get a coin over the edge of a wishing well, does not get the right side of a wishbone, and misses seeing a shooting star. Blowing dandelion fluff, however, gets the attention of a fairy princess. Taking on her quest to find something smaller than himself, his rhythmic ""clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop"" journey begins. A stork, a leprechaun, a dragon, and a tree all play roles in the unicorn's search. The tree helps by giving him a small bud. When it starts to bloom, the unicorn becomes concerned that it will get bigger than him--until the surprise inside is revealed: the unicorn is becoming a big brother! In the first book, the unicorn met a gnome; in this second, a leprechaun; and perhaps a third book will include a ghost, as teased (again) by an ending image? Hopefully there are many more installments to come, especially now that there are two teeny-weeny unicorns.

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