Bluey: Unicorse

by Bluey

Unicorse joins Bluey's story time!

Bluey is finding it hard to get to sleep so Mum reads one final story. Things are calming down until . . . UNICORSE ARRIVES! Whoo-whoo-whoo!

Unicorse's bad behaviour causes mayhem for this bedtime story.

How will Mum and Bluey handle the MOST annoying unicorn in the world?

This hilarious new picture book is perfect for sharing with Bluey fans at story time and bedtime.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2023

About the author

Bluey is a 6 year old Blue Heeler pup who loves to play. Her parents and teacher give her lots of time to practice, which means she’s become very good at inventing games, helping everyone choose their roles and deciding on the rules. Her favourite games are ones that involve lots of other kids and grown-ups (especially her dad) and she mainly likes to pretend she’s a grown up doing grownup things herself.

Bluey is an Australian children's television program by the Emmy award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC KIDS and is co-commissioned by ABC Children's and BBC Studios.

Reviews

[abby ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

nah moms better than me. i would flung that thing far away.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is A winning combination of great writing and Superb illustrations by the Bluey Team.

[Kaitlin McDowell]

My niece gave me this for our family book exchange and I told her I’d add it to goodreads 🥰

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to Julianna yesterday. It was one of our new favorites. Too cute. She loves Bluey; cute bedtime story. Funny. She gives it 5 stars.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best episode of the entire series as well as the best book too!

[Douglas Summers-Stay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 32-page picture book, like all the Bluey books, gets all its material directly from the TV episode-- which was disappointing, because I was hoping for something from Bluey's creators I hadn't seen yet. Still, this gives me an excuse to review the episode, which I found quite thought provoking.
The plot goes like this: Chili and Bandit are tired after a long day and are discussing what to watch on TV. Bluey comes downstairs, unable to sleep. She comes up with a plan to have everyone in the world not sleep. Chili reluctantly agrees to read her one story. She picks a cute but, on the surface at least, rather vapid story about a dog princess whose kingdom is covered in prickles.
As Chili tries to read the story, Bandit comes up from behind the couch with a hand puppet: Unicorse, the world's most annoying unicorn. Bluey is delighted; Chili seems annoyed. Unicorse keeps interrupting loudly, spoiling the plot, trying to get everyone's attention back on himself, and repeating his catchphrase "And... why should I care?" Eventually he gets into a fight with his own personal injury lawyer (another puppet) and Bluey goes off to bed.
While Bandit can sometimes tease too much, and is less concerned about making everything go right than Chili, he doesn't ever actually subvert Chili's attempts to parent. And if Chili really wanted to, she could end the silliness with a look. But that doesn't happen here. So what is actually going on in this episode?
My first theory was that Bandit wanted Bluey to see that she herself was being annoying, by putting the shoe on the other foot (which kind of made sense with the prickle princess plot, regarding putting shoes on feet). Chili had a different strategy, and the two were having a kind of low-key conflict over how to handle the situation. This didn't really sit right with me, though. If that had been what they were trying to show, the resolution would have been different-- it would have focused on the two coming to a consensus on how to proceed. So I kept thinking about it.
What I now think is the following. In the beginning of the episode, it's Bluey against her parents. So Bandit wisely switches it up. By becoming annoying, he changes the dynamic so that now Chili and Bluey are united against him. It's kind of the good cop, bad cop routine. Chili sees what is happening and plays her role so realistically that (the first time I watched it) not only Bluey but I was also fooled. What Bluey learns from Unicorse is to figure out what things she can control (her own reactions) and not try to control the things she can't (Unicorse's actions). Bluey can't change the world so that nobody sleeps, but she can try to control her own emotional state so that she is able to fall asleep. Once she realizes this, the conflict is resolved.
This also makes sense of the story Chili is trying to read. It is teaching the same lesson: If you try to cover the whole world in leather, you're quickly going to run out of leather. Better for each of us to put leather over our own feet.
This was probably the most confusing episode in the whole series for me, but I like it for the same reason I like most episodes: it teaches me how to be a better parent, while also being funny and smart and still also watchable by a five-year-old.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack borrowed this book from the Canal Winchester Library. I picked it because he likes Bluey and has loved the other Bluey books that tell the story of episodes.

At first, Jack was excited about Unicorse because he is loud and rude and funny. But as the book went on, he wasn't very interested. The episode doesn't translate as well to book form because it becomes a book about characters reading a book.

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my best friend's girls as they love Bluey.

In this book. Bluey can't get to sleep so mum tries to calm him down by telling him a story but then Unicorse turns up...

This was funny in places. Especially when mum had a few choice words for unicorse. It did make a good point about going to sleep but waas maybe a bit too long?

Perfect for Bluey fans!

[Snips Mottram · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Really really cool. Unicorse is a bit of a pain. I’d read it again on K’s birthday when it’s time for cake.”
S - 4y2m

[Lena Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit lengthy for my liking

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls a massive fan of bluey! And as soon as she seen this book on the shelf (gifted) she had to have it down. Love the comic book style retelling of the episode.

[Leslie Carnahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean what's not to love about a Bluey storybook?
"Unicorse , what's your favorite food?"
"Children"

[James Zaksek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved acting out every single voice for this. I didn't realize there would be so many opportunities for this! I enjoyed it and I really hope the kids did as well.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mom and Dad are pretty bad at this parenting thing as Bluey pretty much gets her way to stay up and not go to sleep. Meanwhile, Unicorse is extremely annoying, which is also the point in the story.

[Alisha Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

delightful story could hear the character voices from the episode. very curious about Unicorse's story 🤣