The Truth About Unicorns

by James Cross Giblin, Michael McDermott (Illustrations)

"Ranging from ancient Greece and China to medieval Europe, and from Hindu myth and the Bible to contemporary greeting cards, Giblin traces the history of the belief about the fabulous unicorn and its enduring hold on the human imagination. His perspective is multicultural, his research scholarly, and his style casual and open with vivid examples in story and pictures."—BL. Notable Children's Books of 1991 (ALA)
Best Books of 1991 (SLJ)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing (NY Public Library)
Children's Books of 1991 (Library of Congress)

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History, Unicorns, Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

James Cross Giblin was an American children's author and editor, known for his award-winning works. He won the Golden Kite Award and the Sibert Medal for his contributions to children's literature. Giblin was born in Cleveland and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Western Reserve University and earned a master's in playwriting from Columbia University. After a brief acting career, he entered publishing, founding Clarion Books, a children's imprint later acquired by Houghton Mifflin. At Clarion, he edited works by notable authors like Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn. Giblin’s works include The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler and Good Brother, Bad Brother.

Reviews

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite a decent book, outlining the history and origins of unicorn legends in a way that is unbiased and easy to read. I kept bracing myself for some kind of snide debunker tone, but though the book does 'debunk' the unicorn as a real creature, it states the research with sympathy and curiosity, never making any party look stupid. Lots of pictures make it extra fascinating.

The overall history of mankind's relationship to animals through the centuries also comes through, and makes this a truly educational read.

(One thing that really brought home to me how quickly our culture has become post-Christian was this apparently secular book's respectful and normative references to the Bible and Jesus Christ. It almost felt surprising that it was published in 1991.)

[Becca Warfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

found this at goodwill. read it in an hour. horribly written, but the pictures, THE PICTURES, yeah i’ll remember the pictures in this book forever

[carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t explain what compelled me to pick this up, but I had a good time

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those beautiful books that I came across and fell in love with. There is history, there is fable and fantasy all combined in a book that is light enough to read while educational to an extent.

"The Truth About Unicorns" first takes you into a world where the history of this fabulous beast started then enters into what may have inspired it and the inspiration that it provided to many others. From there you get to see what led man to stick with it and then to slowly in the end when the world lost its innocence to forsake it.

The artwork within the book is beautiful even in its non-color format while holding a realism to it little seen. Furthermore these illustrations are combined with actual artifact pictures and a beautiful centerpiece of the famous Unicorn Hunt Tapestries.

For anyone interested in fantasy and unicorns I would recommend this as a beginning read for it will stay with you....

[Britain Valenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back before "unicorn" was synonymous with "glitter party barf", there was a young, twelve-year-old version of myself that was obsessed with unicorns and how they were real. ("They're in the Bible!" I would cry, whenever anyone tried to tell me otherwise. So, you can imagine my delight when I found "The Truth About Unicorns", a series of highly-researched academic articles thinly disguised as chapters. That's not to say I didn't read it though, many times. When I decided to be a fan of something, I went whole horse (so to speak). I learned all about tapestries, how Ringling Bros. was able to make a ride-able goat unicorn, narwhals, medieval horn thrones, and even how Constantine changed the original biblical comparison of Christ from "ox" to "unicorn"...wait, what?

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5-year-old checked this out from the library because she fervently believes unicorns are real. I think she was hoping for some facts to back up her arguments. There's little of that here, but much information about Greek bestiaries, unicorn horn drinking cups, tapestries (although it ignores the tapestries at the Cluny Museum), and narwhals, rhinoceroses, and Ringling Brothers Circus. A very fun book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I borrowed from the library. I wanted solid proof that unicorns either do exist or did. I got a lot of information on unicorns in legends around the world, tapestries, paintings, narwhales, unicorn horn cups, thrones and the like.
The ten year old me freaking loved this book.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Physical book owned - will not keep
This book is geared towards kids, but had lovely illustrations. Very informative on a general history of the myth of unicorns.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was meant to convince of the fiction of unicorns. But instead, I’m convinced they are merely an extinct - but quite real - creature.

[Cindy Huskey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, The Truth About Unicorns is definitely a book. And it sure does cover a lot of ground, from ancient Greece to medieval Europe, to China, and even the Bible (because why not throw in some unicorns with your divine revelation?). If you’ve ever wondered about the rich, mystical history of unicorns and their continuing impact on the human psyche—first of all, get a hobby—but second of all, this book will absolutely be your jam.



Giblin takes us on an academic ride through time and space to dissect unicorns—fabulous creatures, mind you—that have somehow remained a staple of human imagination. It’s like a historical scavenger hunt for things that may or may not exist. But, you know, don’t expect any mind-blowing revelations here. You’ll spend hours reading about unicorns being worshipped in ancient cultures and mysteriously appearing in the Bible, all to come to the same conclusion: unicorns are as real as your high school boyfriend’s promises of never breaking your heart.

The writing? Casual. It’s like Giblin was trying to be "chill" about an all-consuming myth. Like, “Hey, we’ll talk about ancient cultures, unicorns, and their impact on society… but I’m just casually dropping knowledge, no big deal.” Which, fine, I guess. We don’t need a dissertation on unicorns, but I could’ve used a little more substance and less "I’m just here for a good time" vibes.

The research is “scholarly,” sure, but it felt like it was just a parade of unicorn facts (and some really deep dive cultural references) to meet some kind of mystical word count. Sure, unicorns are cool in theory, but reading about them for 200+ pages doesn’t make them any less imaginary. If you're hoping for a new insight into these horned wonders, prepare to be disappointed. The book feels like it was written just to check off a box in the “stuff about mythical creatures” category.

I guess if you’ve always wanted to know every single culture’s take on a horse with a horn on its head, this book is for you. But if you were hoping for some enlightening knowledge, prepare for a lot of "yeah, they’re cool, but they’re not real" moments. Like, okay, we get it. You can stop now.

[Kyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! I loved this book! I LOVE unicorns SOOO MUCH!!!! Makes sense, cause I love horses and magic... so it was inevitable!
It is a nonfiction book on unicorns... Now, I know you are dubious about that statement, but really. It charts where the idea of unicorns came from, what people thought of unicorns all over the world... unicorns in medicine, in hunting, etc. My favorite part was the chapter on the unicorn tapestries! :-) It is fun to see what a huge impact unicorns had on the world. :-)

[Valleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truth About Unicorns was a bit dated but offered interesting cultural history integrated with tidbits about unicorns and where the idea of such a fantastical beast may have originated. My youngest daughter was enthralled with the information she learned as she read regardless of how large the words written on the page. We read this one together as it's probably around a third to early fourth-grade reading level.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1991, this book's information is a bit outdated. For example, the text speculates that narwhals are in danger of extinction, but they are not. They're in danger of being endangered. Other than bits of misinformation, the history of the unicorn throughout the world's countries and cultures is fun reading.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used The Truth About Unicorns as one of my main resources for a research paper and presentation. This book includes the history of the unicorn, tales of the unicorn in different cultures, and ends with an explanation of a number of animals responsible for looking like a unicorn.

[Nichole Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable and an excellent reference for people studying the famous mythical beast. It explores all the variations of Unicorn and the culture that they belong to.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

["aww look at the wittle puppie! She's SOOO CUTE!!" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the facts and pictures that they have!!!

[Isaiahwilliams]

It looks like a nice book and im trying to read it lol