THE UNICORN CAME TO DINNER

Mythical beast versus pragmatic parents—with somewhat expected results.

A unicorn has arrived for dinner, having apparently eaten Mom and Dad’s daughter, Elizabeth (not for the first time). Rude, ungainly, and temperamental, the unicorn tracks prints around the house and exhibits appalling table manners. Dad and Mom, initially irritated, eventually tame this wild beast and even tuck it into bed with a teddy bear. Parents may smile in recognition at the rather obvious ending of this preachy tale. Kids might recognize themselves in this enormous creature that can’t control its temper and feels generally misunderstood; however, the final metamorphosis has little explanation or catalyst, and the story’s perspective seems very parent-oriented. There’s no explanation why the unicorn is so upset; rather, the parents must figure out how to handle this situation as calmly and positively as possible. That seems unhelpful for both children and caregivers who need emotional guidance. Cornwall’s illustrations, done in muted earth tones save for the pink unicorn, do nothing to enliven the flat story, a stark contrast to the vibrancy and emotional range evident in her debut, Jabari Jumps (2017). Furthermore, she uses paper-bag skin tones for this family of color, even giving Mom nearly the same skin tone as that of the woodwork.

Disappointing and preachy, with illustrations that leave little to readers’ imaginations.