Donut: The Unicorn Who Wants to Fly, by Laura Gehl/Illustrated by Andrea Zuill, (Apr. 2022, Random House Studio), $17.99, ISBN: 9780593376256
Ages 3-8
Donut is a shaggy unicorn with a thick white mane and a rainbow-striped horn who sees birds and butterflies fly, and wants to join them. Envisioning herself flying next to her winged compatriots, she jumps, thumps, and flumps; she even tries making her own wings, but she’s not able to get airborne. Can her friends give her a hand? The story is told in two-word rhyming phrases, with occasional speech bubbles for emphasis. Ink and digital artwork is colorful and light, with expressive body language and movement; Donut’s stunts get more and more laughable as she does mental math to figure out how to get in the air and flails, Wile E. Coyote-like, once gravity takes hold. Endpapers add to the story.
Honestly, kids love unicorns. EverydayMom has some fun unicorn craft ideas for a post-storytime extension. Donut: The Unicorn Who Wants to Fly is a great readaloud choice and a testament to imagination and the power of having friends on your side.
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