Wee Unicorn
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.
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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.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-493-5
Ages: 3–7
Page count: 32
9 x 9
Publication date: January 21, 2025