{"id":8766753472749,"title":"Wee Unicorn","handle":"wee-unicorn","description":"\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/meg-mclaren\"\u003eMeg McLaren\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eGOOOOD MOOOORNIIIIING, SCOTLAND!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWee Unicorn isn't what everyone expects in a unicorn. She's noisy, and she's not magical. She feels misunderstood. Then she meets another misunderstood creature—a monster others are scared of—and she reacts in an unkind way. Will she be able to make things right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bright, inviting world of colors and creatures, Wee Unicorn is pure eye candy—it dazzles and sparkles with its messaging of not making assumptions and loving who you are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/giddy-up-unicorn\"\u003eGiddy Up, Unicorn!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/invasion-of-the-unicorns\"\u003eInvasion of the Unicorns\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n[TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eWatch the Trailer\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8ghCeDGGVzE?si=xJ2fLIrNHa7r8kfR\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - LOOK INSIDE - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-spread.jpg?v=1721057828\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1721057833\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeg McLaren, author-illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeg McLaren is an author, illustrator, and printmaker who graduated from Cambridge School of Art with a master's in Children's Book Illustration. Her first book,\u003cem\u003e Life Is Magic,\u003c\/em\u003e was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Her book \u003cem\u003eThe Station Mouse\u003c\/em\u003e won the Bookbug Picture Book Prize 2020. Meg likes to work digitally and in screen print. When she's not up to her eyeballs in ink, she's usually found in front of an afternoon mystery drama. Meg lives with her better half, Jon, who makes a lot of tea, and their dog, Wilson, who makes a lot of messes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/meg-mclaren\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Meg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis sprightly story centering on a fantastical creature meetup spotlights self-acceptance. With a loud voice and helpful nature, Wee Unicorn struggles with a single problem: “She wasn’t what everyone expected a unicorn to be. Wee Unicorn WASN’T magic.” Friendly mountain giants reassure, “Just do your own thing,” but it takes repeat encounters —one frightening and one conciliatory—with a loch creature of lore for the horned heroine to embrace her own kindheartedness. As Wee follows a path toward self-discovery, McLaren weaves in classic fairy tale entities: fluttering fairies offer commentary, selkies provide conflict, and a comic side plot spins an origin story for the Loch Ness “monster”’s name. Cool-toned artwork has the appealing look of screen printing, amplifying the takeaway that belief in oneself is a beautiful thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eChildren's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEveryone expects Wee Unicorn to be magical, just because she is a unicorn. Unfortunately, Wee Unicorn does not possess any magic, but she does what she can to help her friends nevertheless. When the selkies in the lake nearby tell Wee Unicorn about the monster who lives with them, Wee Unicorn finds herself believing in the same kinds of stereotypes that she encounters on a regular basis. Bravely, Wee Unicorn approaches the monster in an effort to better understand who the creature truly is instead of simply accepting whatever Wee Unicorn expects the monster to be. Young children will appreciate the humor and social-emotional content found within this book that challenges the typical belief about what unicorns are and are not. Feelings and emotions appear throughout the narrative, inviting readers to consider their own reactions in similar situations. A limited color palette accompanies Wee Unicorn throughout the book, and cartoon-like illustrations appear on every page. Additionally, framed images and word bubbles give this book the feel of an early graphic novel for preschool and kindergarten-aged readers. The text itself is engaging and straightforward, incorporating a range of font sizes to emphasize specific moments within the narrative. The expressions depicted throughout the book directly connect with the text, as well, successfully presenting Wee Unicorn’s experience in both a visual and auditory manner. Friendly faces and a charming plot make this book enjoyable and accessible for young children, and the story is best shared in a close setting due to the detailed nature of the illustrations. This is a fun addition to library collections for preschool-aged readers who enjoy stories about mythical creatures and friendship. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAn atypical unicorn makes a new friend.\u003cbr\u003e\nWhat Wee Unicorn lacks in size, she makes up for in volume. And though she can’t oblige when the other residents of the Ancient Forest ask her to use magic to help them out (Wee Unicorn’s not magical), she does her best to assist in her own way. Still, sometimes she wishes she possessed magical abilities. Her stalwart supporters, the mountain giants, urge her to be herself. The selkies, who aren’t so kind, tease her about a monster who purportedly resides in the loch; too bad Wee Unicorn doesn’t have magic to scare it away. Who should then arise from the loch’s depths? Wee Unicorn hurries away in terror, but, remembering how it feels to be misunderstood, she returns. Summoning her courage, she enters the loch. Guess who’s delighted to finally meet her? The monster affirms that Wee Unicorn’s lack of magic makes her the unique individual she is, and after she acknowledges how far she’s journeyed, she realizes she doesn’t need magic. This sweet friendship tale, first published in the U.K., should embolden children to feel good about themselves. The whimsical, textured, softly colored illustrations are occasionally set in panels and include speech balloons and some creative typography. McLaren’s worldbuilding is impressive; endpapers include maps of various regions, all vividly brought to life.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe message here: True magic lies in being yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-493-5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3–7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e9 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: January 21, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-09-27T11:06:00-04:00","created_at":"2024-07-18T13:15:04-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play"],"price":1799,"price_min":1799,"price_max":1799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46713326108909,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"44935","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":41130167238893,"product_id":8766753472749,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-07-15T11:37:08-04:00","updated_at":"2024-07-15T11:37:09-04:00","alt":null,"width":600,"height":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829","variant_ids":[46713326108909]},"available":true,"name":"Wee Unicorn - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1799,"weight":397,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781623544935","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":33758533222637,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":33758533222637,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/meg-mclaren\"\u003eMeg McLaren\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eGOOOOD MOOOORNIIIIING, SCOTLAND!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWee Unicorn isn't what everyone expects in a unicorn. She's noisy, and she's not magical. She feels misunderstood. Then she meets another misunderstood creature—a monster others are scared of—and she reacts in an unkind way. Will she be able to make things right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bright, inviting world of colors and creatures, Wee Unicorn is pure eye candy—it dazzles and sparkles with its messaging of not making assumptions and loving who you are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/giddy-up-unicorn\"\u003eGiddy Up, Unicorn!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/invasion-of-the-unicorns\"\u003eInvasion of the Unicorns\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n[TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eWatch the Trailer\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8ghCeDGGVzE?si=xJ2fLIrNHa7r8kfR\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - LOOK INSIDE - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-spread.jpg?v=1721057828\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover.jpg?v=1721057829\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/wee-unicorn-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1721057833\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeg McLaren, author-illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeg McLaren is an author, illustrator, and printmaker who graduated from Cambridge School of Art with a master's in Children's Book Illustration. Her first book,\u003cem\u003e Life Is Magic,\u003c\/em\u003e was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Her book \u003cem\u003eThe Station Mouse\u003c\/em\u003e won the Bookbug Picture Book Prize 2020. Meg likes to work digitally and in screen print. When she's not up to her eyeballs in ink, she's usually found in front of an afternoon mystery drama. Meg lives with her better half, Jon, who makes a lot of tea, and their dog, Wilson, who makes a lot of messes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/meg-mclaren\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Meg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis sprightly story centering on a fantastical creature meetup spotlights self-acceptance. With a loud voice and helpful nature, Wee Unicorn struggles with a single problem: “She wasn’t what everyone expected a unicorn to be. Wee Unicorn WASN’T magic.” Friendly mountain giants reassure, “Just do your own thing,” but it takes repeat encounters —one frightening and one conciliatory—with a loch creature of lore for the horned heroine to embrace her own kindheartedness. As Wee follows a path toward self-discovery, McLaren weaves in classic fairy tale entities: fluttering fairies offer commentary, selkies provide conflict, and a comic side plot spins an origin story for the Loch Ness “monster”’s name. Cool-toned artwork has the appealing look of screen printing, amplifying the takeaway that belief in oneself is a beautiful thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eChildren's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEveryone expects Wee Unicorn to be magical, just because she is a unicorn. Unfortunately, Wee Unicorn does not possess any magic, but she does what she can to help her friends nevertheless. When the selkies in the lake nearby tell Wee Unicorn about the monster who lives with them, Wee Unicorn finds herself believing in the same kinds of stereotypes that she encounters on a regular basis. Bravely, Wee Unicorn approaches the monster in an effort to better understand who the creature truly is instead of simply accepting whatever Wee Unicorn expects the monster to be. Young children will appreciate the humor and social-emotional content found within this book that challenges the typical belief about what unicorns are and are not. Feelings and emotions appear throughout the narrative, inviting readers to consider their own reactions in similar situations. A limited color palette accompanies Wee Unicorn throughout the book, and cartoon-like illustrations appear on every page. Additionally, framed images and word bubbles give this book the feel of an early graphic novel for preschool and kindergarten-aged readers. The text itself is engaging and straightforward, incorporating a range of font sizes to emphasize specific moments within the narrative. The expressions depicted throughout the book directly connect with the text, as well, successfully presenting Wee Unicorn’s experience in both a visual and auditory manner. Friendly faces and a charming plot make this book enjoyable and accessible for young children, and the story is best shared in a close setting due to the detailed nature of the illustrations. This is a fun addition to library collections for preschool-aged readers who enjoy stories about mythical creatures and friendship. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAn atypical unicorn makes a new friend.\u003cbr\u003e\nWhat Wee Unicorn lacks in size, she makes up for in volume. And though she can’t oblige when the other residents of the Ancient Forest ask her to use magic to help them out (Wee Unicorn’s not magical), she does her best to assist in her own way. Still, sometimes she wishes she possessed magical abilities. Her stalwart supporters, the mountain giants, urge her to be herself. The selkies, who aren’t so kind, tease her about a monster who purportedly resides in the loch; too bad Wee Unicorn doesn’t have magic to scare it away. Who should then arise from the loch’s depths? Wee Unicorn hurries away in terror, but, remembering how it feels to be misunderstood, she returns. Summoning her courage, she enters the loch. Guess who’s delighted to finally meet her? The monster affirms that Wee Unicorn’s lack of magic makes her the unique individual she is, and after she acknowledges how far she’s journeyed, she realizes she doesn’t need magic. This sweet friendship tale, first published in the U.K., should embolden children to feel good about themselves. The whimsical, textured, softly colored illustrations are occasionally set in panels and include speech balloons and some creative typography. McLaren’s worldbuilding is impressive; endpapers include maps of various regions, all vividly brought to life.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe message here: True magic lies in being yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-493-5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3–7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e9 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: January 21, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e"}

Wee Unicorn

By: Meg McLaren

GOOOOD MOOOORNIIIIING, SCOTLAND!

Wee Unicorn isn't what everyone expects in a unicorn. She's noisy, and she's not magical. She feels misunderstood. Then she meets another misunderstood creature—a monster others are scared of—and she reacts in an unkind way. Will she be able to make things right?

A bright, inviting world of colors and creatures, Wee Unicorn is pure eye candy—it dazzles and sparkles with its messaging of not making assumptions and loving who you are.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Meg McLaren, author-illustrator

Meg McLaren is an author, illustrator, and printmaker who graduated from Cambridge School of Art with a master's in Children's Book Illustration. Her first book, Life Is Magic, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Her book The Station Mouse won the Bookbug Picture Book Prize 2020. Meg likes to work digitally and in screen print. When she's not up to her eyeballs in ink, she's usually found in front of an afternoon mystery drama. Meg lives with her better half, Jon, who makes a lot of tea, and their dog, Wilson, who makes a lot of messes.

Read more about Meg.

  • Coming soon!

Publishers Weekly

This sprightly story centering on a fantastical creature meetup spotlights self-acceptance. With a loud voice and helpful nature, Wee Unicorn struggles with a single problem: “She wasn’t what everyone expected a unicorn to be. Wee Unicorn WASN’T magic.” Friendly mountain giants reassure, “Just do your own thing,” but it takes repeat encounters —one frightening and one conciliatory—with a loch creature of lore for the horned heroine to embrace her own kindheartedness. As Wee follows a path toward self-discovery, McLaren weaves in classic fairy tale entities: fluttering fairies offer commentary, selkies provide conflict, and a comic side plot spins an origin story for the Loch Ness “monster”’s name. Cool-toned artwork has the appealing look of screen printing, amplifying the takeaway that belief in oneself is a beautiful thing.

Children's Literature

Everyone expects Wee Unicorn to be magical, just because she is a unicorn. Unfortunately, Wee Unicorn does not possess any magic, but she does what she can to help her friends nevertheless. When the selkies in the lake nearby tell Wee Unicorn about the monster who lives with them, Wee Unicorn finds herself believing in the same kinds of stereotypes that she encounters on a regular basis. Bravely, Wee Unicorn approaches the monster in an effort to better understand who the creature truly is instead of simply accepting whatever Wee Unicorn expects the monster to be. Young children will appreciate the humor and social-emotional content found within this book that challenges the typical belief about what unicorns are and are not. Feelings and emotions appear throughout the narrative, inviting readers to consider their own reactions in similar situations. A limited color palette accompanies Wee Unicorn throughout the book, and cartoon-like illustrations appear on every page. Additionally, framed images and word bubbles give this book the feel of an early graphic novel for preschool and kindergarten-aged readers. The text itself is engaging and straightforward, incorporating a range of font sizes to emphasize specific moments within the narrative. The expressions depicted throughout the book directly connect with the text, as well, successfully presenting Wee Unicorn’s experience in both a visual and auditory manner. Friendly faces and a charming plot make this book enjoyable and accessible for young children, and the story is best shared in a close setting due to the detailed nature of the illustrations. This is a fun addition to library collections for preschool-aged readers who enjoy stories about mythical creatures and friendship.

Kirkus Reviews

An atypical unicorn makes a new friend.
What Wee Unicorn lacks in size, she makes up for in volume. And though she can’t oblige when the other residents of the Ancient Forest ask her to use magic to help them out (Wee Unicorn’s not magical), she does her best to assist in her own way. Still, sometimes she wishes she possessed magical abilities. Her stalwart supporters, the mountain giants, urge her to be herself. The selkies, who aren’t so kind, tease her about a monster who purportedly resides in the loch; too bad Wee Unicorn doesn’t have magic to scare it away. Who should then arise from the loch’s depths? Wee Unicorn hurries away in terror, but, remembering how it feels to be misunderstood, she returns. Summoning her courage, she enters the loch. Guess who’s delighted to finally meet her? The monster affirms that Wee Unicorn’s lack of magic makes her the unique individual she is, and after she acknowledges how far she’s journeyed, she realizes she doesn’t need magic. This sweet friendship tale, first published in the U.K., should embolden children to feel good about themselves. The whimsical, textured, softly colored illustrations are occasionally set in panels and include speech balloons and some creative typography. McLaren’s worldbuilding is impressive; endpapers include maps of various regions, all vividly brought to life.
The message here: True magic lies in being yourself.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-493-5

Ages: 3–7
Page count: 32
9 x 9

Publication date: January 21, 2025