Baby Unicorns (5)

by Anne Marie Ryan, Olga Baumert (Illustrator), Kristina Kister (Illustrator)

The Magical Unicorn Society is opening its doors once again to reveal eight brand-new stories about the world’s most magical and elusive creatures. This time, the stories reveal the little-known facts about young unicorns, which are notoriously secretive and difficult to study.

This beautifully illustrated compendium brings together tales of rare encounters with young unicorns, called younglings, from each of the eight unicorn families. Each story tells the tale of a special relationship formed between a youngling and a baby animal, as witnessed by a young person who is then bonded with the unicorn for life. Find out how a Mountain Jewel unicorn creates a lifelong bond with a wild panda cub and a young man, and follow the Water Moons as they help a young girl and a baby dolphin save their island from a sea monster.

Discover the differences between younglings and adult unicorns, from magical powers that are just developing to the colours of their coats and tails. Follow the flow chart to find out which unicorn family you belong to and discover where in the world you can find a unicorn’s favourite food.

The book also features an introduction by Selwyn E. Phipps, President of the MUS, and researcher Valentina Luz.

Also available in the
The Magical Unicorn Unicorns, Myths and Monsters 9781789293494

Genres: Picture Books, Unicorns

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Anne Marie Ryan works as a book editor and has written several successful children's fiction series under a variety of pseudonyms. THE SIX TALES OF CHRISTMAS is her first novel for adults. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Anne Marie now lives in west London with her husband, two daughters and two kittens. When she's not reading or writing, Anne Marie plays tennis and acts in amateur dramatics (much to her family's embarrassment).

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honestreview from Tandem Collective UK and the publishers.

Baby Unicorns is a stunning book from front to back cover. Anyone who loves unicorns will adore this book! The book is set out with each of the eight types of the unicorns having their own page of facts and information followed by a short story to accompany them. Each story is beautifully told and involves a youngling unicorn and a special relationship they form with another baby animal. Just adorable! Even humans get a spot in this magical world as each unicorn also bonds with a human too for life. The differences between adult and young unicorns is beautifully told and the back of the book even has a quiz for the reader to discover what type of unicorn family you belong to. Everything you could possibly want to discover and learn about unicorns is showcased in this book. This would make an amazing present for any unicorn lover young or old.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute read! This was a delightful compilation of short stories about unicorns. I loved the detailed illustrations and all of the information provided about the different kinds of unicorns. This is the perfect book for anyone who has a fascination with unicorns.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for an honest review.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful book!! Perfect for fans of unicorn lore and magic. Each type of unicorn is given its own fact page with gorgeous illustrations and then there is a short story that goes along with that type of unicorn and you get to read about their powers and special abilities in action. The way the book showcases each type of unicorn is very immersive, it really made me feel like maybe, just, maybe magic was real, as all of the five senses were showcased in either the story or the fact page about the unicorn. I loved at the back of the book the quiz helping you figure out which unicorn you’d bond with and the page referring you to a website where you can join the unicorn society. My personal favorite unicorn was the Shadow Night and the story about the young girls who want to be astronauts when they grow up. (Currently, my daughter says this is what she wants to be, so I was thinking about her and her love for anything unicorns as I read this section.) I think this book would work as a read aloud for children ages 5-7 or as an independent read for ages 8-12. The font in the book might be a little hard for some readers to decipher, especially with each page having illustrations behind the words, but I would still highly recommend this for any unicorn enthusiast. I plan on purchasing this book and the others in the series… I think there’s 4 books total for my daughter’s birthday.

[Kelly | Bookmarks 'n Blankets · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are gorgeous, but I wish there were more throughout the book. This is like an encyclopedia for unicorns. It gives lots of information about each type of unicorn, from what it looks like to how it feels to what magic it has. It’s very immersive, showcasing some of the five senses.

I loved the concept but would prefer it to be less wordy and have more images. This book has multiple short stories that go with each type of unicorn. I loved this idea, but I think this one big book could’ve been broken down into a series of smaller books. Then, we could’ve gotten more illustrations in a picture book format with each short story. I think it would’ve been more visually engaging that way. I could see a young child getting bored with such a wordy book. Plus, in my opinion, the short stories were pretty long for a children’s book.

But overall, I thought this was a creative, beautiful book with fun little stories about unicorns. It’s very cozy, magical, and whimsical. At the end, there is a “quiz” to find out which unicorn would bond with you best. They also have a website where anyone can sign up to be a member of this unicorn society, sign up for emails, and download a membership badge. I really enjoyed this interactive element. I think kids would get a kick out of becoming a member of this society. This entire book is a lot of fun. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

[Dana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby Unicorns by Anne Marie Ryan. Unicorns are fascinating creatures in this story. Would be fun to play with and go on adventures. Read the book to find out what unicorn you are.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

It goes without saying that some franchises are done better than others. This is one of the better ones I can remember witnessing. Part of a spread of books detailing an invented world of eight different species of unicorn, this might be the fourth or fifth book in the set but to me flagged this up as a really commendable effort. Here all eight types (mountain, desert, flowers, weather, etc) are briefly introduced, and then in turn each has an eight- or ten-page story from the archives of these alleged unicorn researchers.

And OK the book shows how potent cheap colour is, to misquote Noel Coward. Just because we get detailed borders and coloured paper each page-turn (which makes this dreadful for dyslexics) doesn't automatically mean this has had a lot of effort put in. Just because the artwork is fine, and the overall appearance is quite radiant, doesn't mean this is essential. It could have been twee, childish and naff, but it isn't – the first story has a lot more drama in it than a quick view of a virginal kind of critter, and in baby form, should by rights be expected to have.

And the strong story-telling only continues – a battle with a demonic drought-bringer in a parched desert, a Pacific sea monster that needs besting, and a true globe-trotting ethos. It's not perfect – the third story bodges the "was it only a dream?" beat, and a rags-to-riches fairy tale has just too much cheese. But these tales are fine, and the whole shtick about the Magical Unicorn Society existing and being a real-world entity for you to aspire to join is going to give many a young reader a real sense of belonging. This unicorn-filled world is one of bravery, friendship and compassion galore, which might have been sickly sweet and cloying, but if you are going to make books that sell such a world to young audiences this is definitely the way to do it. Four and a half sparkleberries.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This “official handbook” is an attractive volume written by the head of the Magical Society’s Baby Unicorn division. Valentina Luz shares research, sightings and stories about baby unicorns, or younglings. She has divided the unicorn population into eight families with different attributes and different connections with seasons and habitats. Each of the eight chapters includes a short story that features a particular unicorn family, and has a page on habitat, appearance, magic and unique qualities.

The combination of colorful digital illustrations of unicorns and gentle adventure stories should satisfy anyone who has a soft spot for this mythical beast. The stories take place in different places around the world (Antarctica, China, India) and feature girls and boys.

At the end, readers are invited to join the Magical Unicorn Society, but the website address does not work.

[Jessica Rainwater Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved this book! The illustrations were beautiful. My daughter is younger, so we glossed over the longer stories, but loved reading about the descriptions of all the unicorns. This book truly triggered amazing imagination for her, and we talked for so long about where we might have seen the different types of unicorns, if they have secret meetings in our house, how when she plants flowers if might mean a baby is born, and so much more. I absolutely love how this book helped create special opportunities for us to talk and imagine together! I think this is a great book for kids to grow with as well, to enjoy the biographies of the unicorns and then enjoy the stories as they get older.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never understood my students' fascination about, or maybe even addiction to, unicorns but now I do. This book is truly magical, full of fun facts about different types of unicorns. There is also a story behind each unicorn.

It is a perfect book to introduce students to ways of planning a story.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was adorable. It was a selection of short stories all about unicorns. The general design of the book was so pretty - the illustrations were so cute and colourful.

This lovely little book is ideal for anyone who loves unicorns.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautifully illustrated and written book about Unicorns. What’s not to love?

This book talks about the species of Unicorns, their magic and much more.

A delightful book for all ages.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Kerrific Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to be loved by older youth and teens who like unicorns. Great stories. Beautiful pictures. A treasure.

[Madeline Mize · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my 6 year old daughter: I loved this book! I gave it 5 stars because it was the best book I learned because it was about all 8 baby unicorns and their friends.

[Anaïs Nin's Blk Sis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley for an Arc in an exchange for my honest opinion.

This was so freaking cute and beautiful, illustrated. Very magical indeed!!!

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you heard of The Magical Unicorn Society? Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who has been to a meeting of theirs? I hope that you can answer yes to one of those questions, but if not, don’t worry for I can let you into a secret. I am bringing you a sneak peek. As its name suggests it is quite simply a magical place and once again it is opening its doors, and in this case its covers, so you, lucky readers, can visit and read eight brand new stories about these most magical and elusive creatures. Now, when I say they are opening their doors again, this is their fourth book and if you would like to collect them all they are: The Magical Unicorn Society ~ Official Handbook; The Golden Unicorns ~ Secrets & Legends; Unicorns, Myths and Monsters. Plus, there is even a colouring book encouraging you to stretch your imagination even further! So, I am sure you are wondering how this compendium is different, what more could there possibly be to learn? Baby unicorns is what we are treated to in this volume.

It is rare to have an encounter with a baby unicorn but those that have happened have been recorded here for us to share in. Each of the eight unicorn families we are now familiar with has a youngling, the name for baby unicorns. Each of the eight stories, there is one for each of these families, tells the tale of a special relationship that has formed between a youngling and another baby animal. These relationships have been witnessed by the young person who is bonded with the unicorn. Isn’t that just the most magical idea, what would your bonded unicorn be called, look like? Read the stories, discover the differences between youngling and adult unicorns. Learn about their magical powers, only now beginning to develop. Then there is information about the colours of their coats and tails. With a flow chart to help readers discover which unicorn they could be best friends with and additional information such as favourite treats this book has everything for unicorn lovers.

[Teeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc of this book for an early review.
This is an absolutely delightful children's novel of short unicorn stories. As someone who was obsessed with magical horses for more than a decade, I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations, scientific aspect of discovery, and the short stories themselves. My only criticism is that I wish *all* of the different species and subspecies were given a chance to shine. I hope this gets a sequel that covers those unused unicorns mentioned in this volume. I think this book could work both as a bedtime story for very young children, or even as a gateway book into scientific exploration for slightly older kids. Each story was unique and magical in its own way, spanning a range of time periods and diverse protagonists. I love that there were some bonus materials included at the end as well, and the illustrations between the stories were gorgeous as well. 10/10 would recommend to any child who loves unicorns or even adults who had their unicorn phase.