Margaret's Unicorn

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So disappointing, these two things would have literally taken a few seconds to google and these sort of inaccuracies are very confusing for children. I loved the use of color and light here - the setting feels like the Scottish Highlands to me - and I thought Smith's changing depiction of the unicorn - speckled as a baby, and pure white when grown - was beautiful. It’s not a bad ending at all, and in fact Margaret grows through the story and I like how she ends up making a new friend, but I felt like that last page with Margaret and the unicorn ended a little sadly, and if I’m honest, it felt like the author wasn’t really sure how to finish the story so just ended it too fast and in a way which could have been more magical. Absolutely beautifully illustrated - some of the best lighting (warm and inviting) and shadow I have seen in a children's book.

Margaret’s family is sensitive and loving as she struggles to adjust to life in a new town and it made me so happy that they accept the magic that Margaret encounters in her life when she finds a baby unicorn accidentally left behind when the herd passed through their quiet countryside. There are many books out there aimed at unicorn-loving little girls, but this book is so much more and so much better than that. I also didn't appreciate the implications of losing the magic in your life as you grow up or make new friends. I also greatly appreciated the fact that Margaret didn't get to "keep" the unicorn - that he is depicted as a wild and free magical being, one that might need help from time to time, but that must be allowed to rejoin his kind. Margaret and the unicorn are there for one another when they both feel alone and friendless, but they both grow through the year and new relationships await.Luckily, Margaret's grandmother knows all about unicorns and the entire family makes sure both Margaret and her new friend enjoy a cozy, memorable winter together. The book and story feels so magical and a bit like an old fashioned storybook with Margaret finding a unicorn on its own and taking it home to be looked after over the winter months. A heart-warming story of friendship and kindness brought to magical life by Briony May Smith's enchanting characters and breathtaking coastal landscapes.

They vanish as quickly as they'd appeared, but accidentally leave behind a baby, tangled in the weeds. It's an important message for children that wild creatures are never "ours" -- they deserve their freedom -- but we can have a special connection with them, nonetheless.

One day while out exploring near her home, Margaret sees something in the sky that looks like clouds, but then realises it must be unicorns in the sky. I’ve been on a quest to check out books from the library that appeal to my inner child and this absolutely does.

Two minor disappointing details, the text for one illustration tells you they are picking up and feeling a horse chestnut but the whole page illustration shows you a sweet chestnut tree and sweet chestnut, which looks very different and one is edible and the other isn't.And though Margaret misses him, she has made a new friend, and her new cottage is starting to feel like home.

She has illustrated numerous picture books in the UK, including Little Bear’s Spring, Tooth Fairy in Training, The Giant’s Necklace, and Grab That Rabbit! At one point Margaret says something about picking a sprig of heather, holding out her palm, and letting the unicorn eat it off her hand. I love what happens in the story with Margaret’s grandma telling her all about how she used to spot unicorns when she was a girl and what the unicorns eat and drink. The illustrations really make this such a magical book for me and I’m sure many children and adults will love looking at each of the pictures and taking in all the different things you can see!As the author's “About” blurb said she still looks for unicorns, it also seems to contradict her own personal belief.