A sweet trilogy conclusion.
In this third volume, Uni finally gets to visit their little-girl pal where she lives and meet her friends and family.
Sliding in on a double rainbow (the one, of course, that connects Here and There), Uni is excited to visit the Real World for the first time. But when the unnamed little girl introduces Uni to her parents, they don’t see Uni at all. The little tot’s entire body droops in disappointment. The duo then races to the park to find the little girl’s friends. Surely they will want to see a unicorn! But they don’t see Uni either. This time, it is Uni’s turn to sadly droop. Suddenly, light hits Uni’s horn, and a rainbow appears. A glint of believing grows in a little boy, and he can see Uni! The thrum of magic and sparkle is there in both the text and art, but the ending feels slapdash and arbitrary: “The power of believing spread across the Real World, making it a bright and joyful place where everyone…was welcome.” Regardless, the full-circle moment is satisfying, completing the arc begun by author Rosenthal’s late mother, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, in Uni the Unicorn (2014) and Uni the Unicorn and the Dream Come True (2017). Uni and the little girl have now seen each other’s homes and made both better through their friendship. The little girl and her family present White; her friends are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet trilogy conclusion. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-30680-2
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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