This sprightly story centering on a fantastical creature meetup spotlights self-acceptance. With a loud voice and helpful nature, Wee Unicorn struggles with a single problem: “She wasn’t what everyone expected a unicorn to be. Wee Unicorn WASN’T magic.” Friendly mountain giants reassure, “Just do your own thing,” but it takes repeat encounters —one frightening and one conciliatory—with a loch creature of lore for the horned heroine to embrace her own kindheartedness. As Wee follows a path toward self-discovery, McLaren weaves in classic fairy tale entities: fluttering fairies offer commentary, selkies provide conflict, and a comic side plot spins an origin story for the Loch Ness “monster”’s name. Cool-toned artwork has the appealing look of screen printing, amplifying the takeaway that belief in oneself is a beautiful thing.
—Publishers Weekly
Everyone expects Wee Unicorn to be magical, just because she is a unicorn. Unfortunately, Wee Unicorn does not possess any magic, but she does what she can to help her friends nevertheless. When the selkies in the lake nearby tell Wee Unicorn about the monster who lives with them, Wee Unicorn finds herself believing in the same kinds of stereotypes that she encounters on a regular basis. Bravely, Wee Unicorn approaches the monster in an effort to better understand who the creature truly is instead of simply accepting whatever Wee Unicorn expects the monster to be. Young children will appreciate the humor and social-emotional content found within this book that challenges the typical belief about what unicorns are and are not. Feelings and emotions appear throughout the narrative, inviting readers to consider their own reactions in similar situations. A limited color palette accompanies Wee Unicorn throughout the book, and cartoon-like illustrations appear on every page. Additionally, framed images and word bubbles give this book the feel of an early graphic novel for preschool and kindergarten-aged readers. The text itself is engaging and straightforward, incorporating a range of font sizes to emphasize specific moments within the narrative. The expressions depicted throughout the book directly connect with the text, as well, successfully presenting Wee Unicorn’s experience in both a visual and auditory manner. Friendly faces and a charming plot make this book enjoyable and accessible for young children, and the story is best shared in a close setting due to the detailed nature of the illustrations. This is a fun addition to library collections for preschool-aged readers who enjoy stories about mythical creatures and friendship.
—Children’s Literature
An atypical unicorn makes a new friend.
What Wee Unicorn lacks in size, she makes up for in volume. And though she can’t oblige when the other residents of the Ancient Forest ask her to use magic to help them out (Wee Unicorn’s not magical), she does her best to assist in her own way. Still, sometimes she wishes she possessed magical abilities. Her stalwart supporters, the mountain giants, urge her to be herself. The selkies, who aren’t so kind, tease her about a monster who purportedly resides in the loch; too bad Wee Unicorn doesn’t have magic to scare it away. Who should then arise from the loch’s depths? Wee Unicorn hurries away in terror, but, remembering how it feels to be misunderstood, she returns. Summoning her courage, she enters the loch. Guess who’s delighted to finally meet her? The monster affirms that Wee Unicorn’s lack of magic makes her the unique individual she is, and after she acknowledges how far she’s journeyed, she realizes she doesn’t need magic. This sweet friendship tale, first published in the U.K., should embolden children to feel good about themselves. The whimsical, textured, softly colored illustrations are occasionally set in panels and include speech balloons and some creative typography. McLaren’s worldbuilding is impressive; endpapers include maps of various regions, all vividly brought to life.
The message here: True magic lies in being yourself.
—Kirkus Reviews
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