Today is National Unicorn Day and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to introduce Beatrice Blue’s gorgeous début picturebook Once Upon a Unicorn Horn (Frances Lincoln), which is published as part of the First Editions list, which showcases new talents.
June lives with her parents in a magical forest and loves to go on adventures and discover treasures in the forest. When she comes across a herd of tiny magical horses who are learning to fly. All but one, who doesn’t seem to be able to and looks so very sad. June is desperate to help but seems unable to fix it. She goes home to ask for help, and with the support of her mum and dad and a perfectly timed and placed ice-cream cone, something truly magical happens.
Themes of kindness, perseverance and never being afraid to ask for help are threaded into this joyful tale full of magic, colour and happiness. Blue’s style is wonderful; some of the spreads are reminiscent of Mary Blair’s art for Little Golden Books, who also had a flair for magical child-centered illustrations. The magical creatures are adorable and as Once Upon a Unicorn Horn is the first title in a picture book series about how fantastical creatures got their magical features, there is plenty more to look forward to!
I am delighted to welcome Beatrice to Library Mice for a Fabulous Five special on books that have inspired her since childhood:
Five Fabulous Inspiring Reads
by Beatrice Blue
I have always been fascinated with magic. The way some authors describe it and make it feel absolutely real makes me want to go on a thousand adventures every day. With Once Upon a Unicorn Horn my aim was to make readers feel the magic and want to go on adventures with me! To make them go out and discover the unknown; and/or make the unknown happen. I want every reader to appreciate how wonderful kids are, and all the amazing things they can discover. Here are 5 books that have inspired me every day since I was a child:
Peter Pan
J.M. Barrie
Peter Pan is my absolute favourite book. The way it’s written is absolutely mesmerizing. It shows us how beautiful the kid’s mind is and all that there is to discover anywhere we go. It’s truly inspiring and I don’t lie when I say I could read it every day. It makes me miss home, love my childhood, enjoy every second I live and want to go on every possible adventure there is. Peter Pan should be in every book shelf of every home.
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
Of course, who doesn’t love Harry Potter and the way J.K Rowling developed a whole magical world surrounded by such amazement and wonder? I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for the first time back in 1999. And my whole world spun. Magic was then suddenly more present forever in my life.
Neil Gaiman stories
From Neverwhere, to The Ocean at the End of the Lane and stopping basically on every single one of his short stories, Neil Gaiman has my entire heart. His way of seeing the world seems absolutely fascinating to me, plus the way he writes and how delicious each story is makes him probably my favorite author.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
The magic of Roald Dahl is undescribable, we all know that. But this specific book stole my heart right away. It showed me how a regular girl like me could actually make her dream and her magic real. It also taught me how being patient under someone else’s rage, anger or bad attitude could make me more powerful every day. And how being good to others, sharing and caring can make magic more than real.
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
The way Kipling shows us the mind of the kid in the middle of the Jungle; his decisions, his adventures and the way Mowgli grows and learns throughout the book is mesmerizing. Mowgli, along with Baloo, Kaa, Shere Khan, and Bagheera, taught me how to be fearless and learn from every adventure I venture into. They also made me learn to be cautious and that every action has its consequences. I will treasure this book forever.
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Thank you so much Beatrice!
Once Upon a Unicorn Horn is out today and you can purchase it here.
Source: review copy kindly sent from publisher
