Title: Goodnight Unicorn: A Magical Parody

Author: Pearl E. Horne (a.k.a. Karla Oceanak)

Illustrator: Kendra Spanjer

Publisher/Year: Bailiwick Press/2016

First Line: In the great green wood, there were sweet hawthorns, and breezes warm, and a blessing of unicorns with spiraling horns.  

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Did you know that a herd of unicorns is called a blessing? And that a unicorn’s spiraling horn is called an alicorn? Did you know that only people who are pure of heart can see unicorns? These are just a few of the magical facts young unicorn lovers will discover in the back of Goodnight Unicorn: A Magical Parody.

As the name suggests, Goodnight Unicorn is a parody of the beloved classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd. Two years ago, I did a short blog post about parodies (Parodies:The Power of Picture Books). I mentioned how your book has staying power if someone writes a parody of it. I also mentioned that a great many parodies of children’s books are not written for children at all. Thankfully, Goodnight Unicorn is a delightfully sweet parody, perfect for kids (and unicorn enthusiasts of all ages).

I enjoyed this book thoroughly, from the beautiful lyrical language to the bright, whimsical illustrations, depicting a myriad of mythical (and adorable) creatures, including fairies, trolls, gnomes, and more. Author Horne and illustrator Spanjer both did a top-notch job of staying true to the look and feel of Brown and Hurd’s classic bedtime book (super important for a parody), while at the same time, creating something fun and fresh. If you like Goodnight Moon, you will like this book. If you like unicorns, you will like this book. If you like fantasy, you will like this book. Highly recommended!