Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
This afternoon I read "Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great" by Bob Shea. I was first attracted to the colorful font cover and whimsical unicorn. Inside does not disappoint. The end pages even reflect the colorful and whimsy of the front cover with multiple colored cupcakes. The story starts with Goat who is clearly jealous of Unicorn. Goat thinks Unicorn can do everything better than Goat can. However, once they meet, it is Unicorn who is openly envious of Goats capabilities. As the story goes on, Unicorn tells Goat how great Goat is and Goat ends up feeling sympathetic of Unicorn and tells him all the things he is good at. In the end, they of course become friends.
It's a cute and amusing story about not judging people before you know them. The message is clear, but the story is not droll and does not preach to the reader. The lesson is a great one to use in a classroom setting. It could be used at the beginning of the year to promote a positive classroom environment or during bullying lessons. The colors and illustrations will engage younger readers and the silly antics (Goat putting a plunger on his head to look like Unicorn) will make upper elementary students laugh. I know I had a chuckle or two while reading this story! Some of the elements remind me of Mo Willems writing style in the Elephant and Piggie series and his Pigeon books. Children who like Willem's books will most likely like this cheerful story.
