waterviolite's review
medium-paced
2.75
Layla is starting school and is made fun of for being "woodsy". Can her difference become an asset?
The title is never brought up or explained in the story. Layla is depicted with black fur and a tightly curled mane. The other unicorns are depicted in a variety of colors.
The title is never brought up or explained in the story. Layla is depicted with black fur and a tightly curled mane. The other unicorns are depicted in a variety of colors.
kaya217's review
1.0
Too wordy. I can't tell what age this is really written for. The story is just way too wordy.
madelinefmcguire's review
3.0
Layla struggles to fit in at school where she's the only Black Unicorn but with the help of family she finds her place.
This was cute but it felt like it would have worked better as an early reader. There were a lot of characters with longer names and the story felt a little more complex.
This was cute but it felt like it would have worked better as an early reader. There were a lot of characters with longer names and the story felt a little more complex.
mckenzierichardson's review
3.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
A sweet, modern twist on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, featuring a unicorn from the woods who attends school with other unicorns for the first time.
Featuring a delightful cast of magical friends, including a fatherly troll and supportive goblin, fairy, cat, and minotaur, Haddish presents an engaging world. Though there's plenty of magic, it's also easy to relate to as Layla deals with new experiences, fitting in, and bullying.
Cute illustrations. While most of the characters are animals, the humanoid characters have a variety of skin tones, which is a nice change from traditional white-centric fantasies.
One aspect I especially enjoyed is that it is Layla's knowledge and experience that saves the day at the end. It's not her physical features used to the advantage of others. Instead, she uses her skills, bravery, and kindness to help others.
A lovely tale of uniqueness, acceptance, and friendship.
A sweet, modern twist on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, featuring a unicorn from the woods who attends school with other unicorns for the first time.
Featuring a delightful cast of magical friends, including a fatherly troll and supportive goblin, fairy, cat, and minotaur, Haddish presents an engaging world. Though there's plenty of magic, it's also easy to relate to as Layla deals with new experiences, fitting in, and bullying.
Cute illustrations. While most of the characters are animals, the humanoid characters have a variety of skin tones, which is a nice change from traditional white-centric fantasies.
One aspect I especially enjoyed is that it is Layla's knowledge and experience that saves the day at the end. It's not her physical features used to the advantage of others. Instead, she uses her skills, bravery, and kindness to help others.
A lovely tale of uniqueness, acceptance, and friendship.
panda_incognito's review
2.0
The illustrations are nice, but the story is unremarkable and occasionally confusing. The book also doesn't deliver on the title, since it's never explained why Layla is the last black unicorn, or why this is significant. There's a comment near the end about how black is where all of the other colors meet, but the other unicorns never criticized how Layla looked, just where she came from, so this doesn't resolve anything. The message this was supposed to make about racism is unclear, simply because there's no adequate set-up. This book is fine for children who love unicorns and for parents who are fans of the celebrity author, but it doesn't have any enduring value.
jocaaay's review
3.0
The story had elements I really liked, I just wish the story was more original.