The Order of the Unicorn

The Imaginary Veterinary #4

by Suzanne Selfors, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

At Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital, Pearl and Ben are greeted with some bad news. A human has been spotted in the Imaginary World! Dr. Woo suspects it might be Maximus Steele -- a poacher with his sights set on prized animal horns. What creature will he attack next? Will it be a unicorn?

Together, Pearl, Ben, and Dr. Woo travel to the Tangled Forest. It's an amazing, colorful, and wild place. Ultimately, the responsibility falls to Pearl to find the lost unicorn. But in a land of fire-breathing insects and flesh-eating flora, is she up for the challenge?

Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary.

This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Order of the Unicorn . These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Adventure, Paranormal

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Suzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.

Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.

Reviews

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books just keep getting better and better. I just love watching Ben and Pearl grow during their adventures. These books are so full of imagination! I love the adventures that await us in the imaginary world. I love it even more when the imaginary world clashes with the real world...because adventures happen! These books bring me and my boys together every night to snuggle and enter the town of Buttonville with Ben and Pearl...such a gift! There is mystery, suspense and fun within the pages and we can't wait for the next book. 5 stars!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fourth installment of "The Imaginary Veterinary," Buttonville's girl troublemaker Pearl Petal and her summer-visitor bestie, Ben Silverman, get a second chance, as mere apprentices to magical creatures vet Dr. Woo, to travel to the Imaginary World. This time, it's to rescue a missing unicorn colt, who has somehow strayed into the forbidden Dark Forest, which in the first place, is dark (like, duh), and in the second place, is populated by predatory plants. So, it's a bad place. And only Pearl can go in there, because unicorns trust little girls if they're pure in heart. She just has to work on the pure in heart part, what with her nemesis – Little Miss Perfect, Victoria Mullbery – being awarded a membership in the town's prestigious Red Wagon Club. Oooh, does that burn!

I almost forgot the mention "in the third place," which is that the enemy of all imaginary creatures, a certain Maximus Steele, is trying to catch a unicorn for his own nefarious purposes. We learn a bit more about him in this book, and actually see him about his nasty work. Even in a town as sleepy as Buttonville, there's more to being an apprentice with an imaginary veterinary than trimming Sasquatch nose hairs and playing fetch with a juvenile dragon.

While I wouldn't exactly call this a gripping thriller, it is a fun story with gentle characters upholding gentle values – like Dr. Woo's pronouncement that all creatures deserve medical care, even monsters that eat children. Who's to judge? (I forgot to mention the children-eating monster. But I wouldn't want to spoil every surprise, would I?) Ben and Pearl's friendship, the funny quirks of their personalities, the little bit of sadness about them that goes to your heart – like the fact that, apparently, Ben is staying with his grandpa because his parents are getting a divorce – make them real in your heart; real enough to believe in the fantastic things they experience.

There are more fantastic experiences to follow, with six books in this series including (next in line) The Griffin's Riddle, and many other books by Suzanne Selfors, such as Next Top Villain, Science and Sorcery, Coffeehouse Angel and Mad Love.

[Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The main conflict was there was a lost unicorn full in the dark forest. And there was a human in the imaginary world that was trying to capture the unicorn for its horn, and Dr. Woo thinks it might be Maximus Steele. Well, Pearl got through the dark forest, because Cobblestone the leprechaun gave her some shoes that made her quiet. They were called silent shoes. And that was especially good, because she was the only one who could catch the unicorn, and there were plants called flesh-eaters who could pull the roots from the ground and use them as legs and eat flesh, or almost anything that made noise. And they had a scent that no one could resist 'cause it knew what someone loved and made that scent. Oh! And she could catch the fireflies, which were actually literally fireflies because they had fire in their belly, but she could catch them and no one else can because the silent shoes made her quiet, and they could react to noise and hear almost anything. There was also a creature, a dragonfly, which was a cross between a dragon and a firefly. It had dragon's head and a butterfly's body.

"Pearl got the unicorn and brought it back to the blessing, which is what a herd of unicorns is called. And she got a little tuft of fur from the unicorn king, so they were in the order of the unicorn. Dr. Woo did that, too. The tuft of fur was a crown, and Dr. Woo got one, too, but we don't know when.

"I liked the book and the whole series. I would recommend it to anyone reading this report."

--first grader

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantasic adventure with Ben and Pearl. This time to save a lost baby unicorn.

The welcome wagon crew are at it again and Victoria is going to get a crown. Also Mrs. Mulberry has ordered worms hoping to get a sick one. Both of these things are driving Pearl crazy.

Once they are inside the hospital Dr. Woo needs help from each of the kids. Ben must help her feed a sick Kelpie and then she takes the kids into the Imaginary World to find a lost baby unicorn. Unicorns respond better to girls. So that means Pearl must put herself in danger to help her favorite creature.

Lots of funny stuff happens in this story. I love the inclusion of a bunch of the imaginary creatures. Metalmouth is my favorite. I wanna play fetch with a dragon!

[Christine Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben and Pearl are Dr. Woo's assistants for treating creatures from the Imaginary World. They travel to another dimension to search for a missing unicorn foal. Will they be able to save her in time?

I'm reading this series with my eight-year-old son. This is my favorite book so far as it is from Pearl's point of view. She's more impulsive and brave than the cautious Ben, and it's up to her to sneak through the dark forest to save the unicorn foal. There's great tension and we get another peek at the big villain. So evil!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're still enjoying this series, as we've now finished book #4. Most nights the kids are begging for "one more chapter." As we read this book I got to thinking about how much I enjoy Pearl's character, always the brave one and never plays second fiddle to the male main character. We're looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Skari · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved it, it's really engaged her, so we're going to go back and read more of the series. I think it's very well written and perfect for her age for bedtime story time, she's almost 7. Great for fans of Doc McStuffins, she was obsessed with Doc when she was littler and this seems to scratch that same itch while being a bit more grown up.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though a cute idea, each book in this series is basically the same, and it's gotten a little old. Younger children might appreciate that, but it doesn't hold enough attention to span the age ranges. I think this will be my last in the Imaginary Veterinary series. Cute, but just not enough.

[Deacon Yeager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I really liked that both Ben and Pearl had their tonsils removed just like me. I wouldn't have caught Troll Tonsilitis either! It was pretty funny when Bonnie head butted Ben. He should have listened to the rule.

[Licelot Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book, but I spent more time reading this book because I think I'm tired of kids books.
About the book I can say, l liked it, but I think I don't like to read from Pearl's perspective. She is so impulsive.
Also it's interesting to see how the book became more exciting.

[lilyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was pretty cool! the illustrations are ooh-worthy and the characters are funnily constructed, that tip about the unicorn bond was interesting. suzanne writes great books. pearl, ben and dr. woo are awesome!! i enjoyed this a lot and learned more about mythical creatures.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great, loved the fantasy. Gave me a tingle up my spine. This book rocks. (age 9)

[mira. · Rating 4 out of 5]

unicornnnnnnnnnnnnn!

[Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good

[Brionna · Rating 4 out of 5]

#liked it

[Donna Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sending it on to my Alzheimer's mother who can better assess the book. The story was a little young for me.

[Cadel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about saving a unicorn from Max Stealer again. He wanted the unicorn's horn. Pearl saves the unicorn by going in and calling its name so that it comes to her. Good book!

[Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun installment in the Imaginary Veterinary series!

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, there are a couple books of these. There is a series. I hope to read the rest soon!

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the kids in book club really like it, so it has that going for it...
With so many other book choices out there, I personally would skip this series.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good brain break series

[Bronwen Merrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m counting this series as novels. 24/25 in 2025

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dangerous and exciting mission!


Order of the Unicorn is book four in an awesome fantasy series, called the Imaginary Veterinary. Two kids named Pearl and Ben are apprentices at Dr. Woo’s Worm Hospital (it’s actually a place that treats magical creatures from another world). Pearl and Ben travel to the Imaginary World to try to find a missing unicorn. They enter the Tangled Forest and start their quest. It is a dangerous and exciting mission.

I love the first two lines of the book because they are funny and interesting and make me want to read more. “The first thing many people do after getting out of bed is put on a pair of slippers. The first thing Pearl Petal did on that Friday morning was slip her feet into a pair of leprechaun shoes.”

Part of the book is set in our world, and part is in another world. It’s more interesting than if it were set just in one world. Pearl and Ben are doing normal things in Buttonville where they live but trying to keep the Imaginary World a secret. Mrs. Mulberry, the mother of Pearl’s arch enemy in Buttonville, is nosy and trying to figure out what’s going on at Dr. Woo’s Worm Hospital. This makes it hard for Pearl and Ben to keep the secret.

I like the dialogue and descriptions. The illustrations are wonderful and they go with the story. I think kids would love this book because it is exciting and fun.

My favorite part is when they meet the unicorn king and I love the ending. I wish I could go to the Imaginary World. That would be so cool!


Review by Young Mensan Connor C., age 8, Boston Mensa

[Tod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhhh… another fun-filled trip to the world of the Imaginary Veterinary! Except this time, it wasn’t as fun as it was dangerous… which I loved! So far, I’ve come to expect some whimsy and MINOR elements of danger from this series, but most of the danger revolves around their secret getting out. This story, however, introduced some more vicious creatures. There was the child-eating kelpie, the flesh-eating plants, and the not-so-much-a-creature-but-definitely-still-vicious Maximus Steele. All of these dangerous additions to the story really upped the ante for me as a reader and 100% made me more invested in the plot than I likely would have been otherwise (also based on, ya know, my semi-frequent lack of engagement with the other novels in the series).

To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out
https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/202...

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh sure, when I really want to read a sneak peek of the next book, it’s nowhere to be found... Another great addition to the series! I like how Pearl was challenged, although the book ended without following that string to the end. There are also some things to make predictions about... namely who Maximus Steele is... I have a guess!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend The Sasquatch Escape: The Imaginary Veterinary: Book 1, The Lonely Lake Monster: The Imaginary Veterinary: Book 2, The Rain Dragon Rescue: The Imaginary Veterinary: Book 3 and The Order Of The Unicorn: The Imaginary Veterinary: Book 4 written by Suzanne Selfors with illustrations by Dan Santat for middle grade readers or anyone wanting to experience grand adventures filled with fun and heartwarming characters. At the end of each book Selfors includes several pages of story stretcher activities for writing, art or science. After having read each of these twice, I simple can't wait for book five.


My full recommendation for the entire series to date: http://bit.ly/1s145jh

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure who's more enamored with this series, my son or I. I have been reading out loud to my soon-to-be 10 year old each night since he was born. Although we've read a lot of great books together over the years not all of them were fun to read out loud (authors: too many dialogue tags are distracting and cause tumbling tongue-itis!). Selfor's writing is not only fun to read in general, with perfectly placed cliffhangers at the end of chapters, but it is seamless to read out loud. And the best part? My son, usually a reluctant reader, often chooses to read ahead of me in the book after I quit reading to him in the evenings.

Keeping my fingers crossed for many more adventures in the Imaginary World!

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read the first three books in the series (I didn't even know this was a series at first) but my 5th grade students have been reading the first book since it is a Sunshine State book for the 2014-2015 school year. Many have said it's been their favorite book from this year so I bought this book when I saw it. I'll admit, I now find myself wishing I would have read the first three books in the series before this one (even though I don't think it matters since the book only mentions little things from the first three). I look forward to reading the others in the series and adding them all to my classroom library.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud with daughter, age 10.

Characters are solid, their relationships interesting - and they've matured somewhat in the week covered by the four books. Like the second book, this is mainly told from Pearl's point-of-view. The best part of this book is the focus on a main bad guy, hinted at in the previous novel. In this story, he doesn't reveal his face, but Dr. Woo does give a good chunk of history about him.

We are both really looking forward to the next book.

[Nanci Booher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anytime I show the kids at school that we have purchased another book in this series, they are ecstatic. They love this series as much as I do. I'm still reading Sasquatch Escape out loud and I told them I thought we could finish it and all I heard were "yays". In this installment, Ben and Pearl are set to accompany Dr. Woo to the Tangled Forest which leads to the Dark Forest on the lookout for a lost unicorn. Full of fun, this is a worthy addition to the series.