The Unicorn of the West
El unicornio del oeste
BOOK DESCRIPTION
In this evocative tale of friendship and self-discovery, a young unicorn undertakes a magical journey in order to find his purpose. Excellent for discussing themes of identity and solidarity.
The delicate illustrations by Abigail Pizer complement the story.
CD DESCRIPTION
This CD contains the reading of three of my favorite stories: Jordi’s Star, The Malachite Palace, and The Unicorn of the West. It was a very meaningful experience for me to record these books, to choose the music to accompany the reading, and to share after each recording the story of the creation of each book.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This story was born out of the request of my great-nieces Virginia Marie, Lauren and Allison Roure DeMiranda for a bedtime story. When I asked them what they wanted the story to be about they requested “unicorns”. So, inspired by their beauty and their trust in my storytelling abilities I began: “Each evening, as the sun set…” and the story was born. It has always been one my favorites, perhaps because of my love for the girls who inspired it, and their mother, my niece Virgilú.
REVIEWS
School Library Journal
Grade 1-3: A gentle story that can be effectively shared on many levels. A young unicorn who has never before met any other creatures of the forest tries to discover who he is. With each season, he meets a different animal: a spring robin, a summer butterfly, an autumn squirrel. But it’s not until winter approaches that he hears a “melody” that seems to beckon him to a place where he meets the Unicorns of the East, South, and North. They tell him that he is the Unicorn of the West and that every seven years on the solstice, the four meet to insure that each corner of the world will always know love and beautiful dreams. The unicorn returns home, content to know his identity and with the knowledge that he has true friends. In The Gold Coin (1991) and My Name Is Maria Isabel, (1993, both Atheneum), Ada employed similar themes of self-discovery. Here, it is interwoven with the idea that both friendship on an individual level and peace on a universal level are important. The story is well told and folkloric in its approach as a pattern is developed and repeated with each encounter with a different animal. The watercolor illustrations are soft without being pale and portray an apt world for this original fable.
Image Gallery
READERS’ RESPONSES
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