Kevin the Unicorn: It's Not All Rainbows

August 1, 2019
What could make a unicorn have a bad day? "Everyone knows that unicorns are perfect," starts this gleefully ill-tempered story. Cartoonish unicorns prance around a garishly bright landscape, skateboarding down rainbows and leaping over cupcakes. So when Kevin "[wakes] up on the floor," he knows that he has no choice but to "KEEP IT HAPPY." Motivational posters encourage him to "SPARKLE MORE," he zooms down Cheerful Drive and Upbeat Avenue, and aggressive billboards warn residents to "ALWAYS BE A HAPPY-CORN!" But negative experiences--an empty gas tank in the middle of a rainstorm, a steaming cup of clam juice instead of glitter soda, and a pack of hungry dogs--pile up. Kevin tries to keep a smile on his face but it becomes an increasingly forced grin, then a rictus. He finally snaps, yelling: "This is a really horrible, lousy, awful day!" After the slight awkwardness that follows the breaking of a unicorn social contract, Kevin's friends start to open up about their own trials and tribulations. Blending the timeless wisdom of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day with a slight parody of current trends, this picture book is an excellent antidote to the cult of positive thinking. Slightly subversive and a lot of fun. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 22, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Everyone knows that "when you're a unicorn, everyday is filled with...Magical Awesomeness!" This was true for Kevin until the day it wasn't, but Kevin is going to turn it all around with an extra-big smile, positive attitude, and more sparkle. Surrounded by his sparkly peers and endless cheerful signage, Kevin is going to "keep it happy!" even though deep inside he doesn't "feel smiley at all." Finally, after falling out of bed, having his car break down, getting clam juice instead of Glitter Soda, being chased through the park by seagulls, and being covered in maple syrup with pancakes, cupcakes, balls, and a dog stuck to him, Kevin can no longer hide his true feelings: "Today is not awesome or fantastic and it's definitely not sparkly. This is a really horrible, lousy, awful day!" Lo and behold, he is not alone. Other unicorns are also having bad days, and being less alone makes Kevin feel a bit better. The colorful text uses a variety of fonts and speech bubbles. Bright illustrations in full- and half-page spreads and comic book panels showcase colors, sparkles, and rainbows that only underscore Kevin's bad day. They also don't skimp on amusing expressions and happy signage ("No smile. No service."). They complement the text perfectly. VERDICT Kevin the unicorn discovers that it's OK to own his true feelings, even when they aren't sparkly. A good general purchase.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.