Billie the Unicorn

by Brianne Drouhard

Overview

A young unicorn learns that home is where her heart is. Fans of My Little Pony will love this heartwarming story and inspirational artwork!

Leaving her farm, Billie seeks adventure! She trades her cornfield for the forest, where her friendly cousins Rhubarb and Smudge show her how to grow delightful flowers. However, the legend of a Queen's castle that holds the world's grandest garden lures her away! But will Billie discover that friendship and freedom matter more?

Fans of horses, unicorns, and My Little Pony will love Billie! Created by a prolific animation professional, Billie is wide-eyed and eager for adventure. Aided by her colorful cousins, Billie embarks on a quest to discover her true talent, and learns to trust her instincts and her heart. That is a lesson that kids and parents will both appreciate.

This wonderful world is illustrated in a whimsical style of colored markers, pen, and ink by Brianne Drouhard, the creator of the web comic Harpy Gee. She has contributed to the popular animated TV shows on Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network, such as:

• Ultimate Spider-Man
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
• The Avengers
• Pig Goat Banana Cricket
• Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold
• Ben 10
• Teen Titans
• Transformers: Animated.

"It’s not often that something makes you go 'aaaaaww,' 'cooooool,' and 'ha ha ha ha ha' all at the same time. The world seriously needs more of the cute/awesome/funny work of Brianne Drouhard!"
- Lauren Faust, Executive Producer of the new My Little Pony animated series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597020244
Publisher:	Immedium
Publication date:	04/26/2011
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brianne Drouhard: Brianne grew up in a small town in Washington State, where her family grows potatoes. She has been interested in animation since an early age and draws everyday. Brianne now works in television animation as a character designer and storyboard artist. TV shows she has contributed to are Teen Titans, Class of 3000, Transformers Animated, Ben Ten, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. She is a graduate of Calarts and likes to create illustrations, stories, and short cartoons in her free time. A recipient of a NFAA scholarship, she graduated from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Her artwork has been shown at galleries in Los Angeles and Philidelphia. Brianne's online portfolio is at briannedrouhard.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Not only do Brianne's drawings have great style and flair, they also use classic principles...the whole shebang of good drawing skills, and to top it off, a lot of individuality and fun!" — John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren & Stimpy

"Brianne's world of super-cute characters and beyond beautiful landscapes sends me on a visual sugar high with every page I turn...." - Sam Register EVP Warner Bros Animation

“The full-bleed illustrations in a combination of colored pencil and colored markers use subtle matte-white sparkles, dramatically-staged scenes in animation style, and an effective use of contrast to show a dramatic story unfolding. The climax of the story is well-represented visually with an increasing cacophony of detailed flowers…” – Bayviews, Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California

“Very excited to see another great book release from Immedium! Billie the Unicorn is a story about a sweet, but unfulfilled little unicorn named Billie, searching for her place and purpose in the world. After making a few bad choices, Billie learns to be true to herself and those that love her. The illustrations in this book are phenomenal, the characters are filled with charm and personality!” – Tokyo Bunnie

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—Billie leaves her ho-hum cornfield in search of adventure. She visits her cousins Rhubarb and Smudge, who live in a "mystical forest" and have the ability to make lush gardens appear. Billie's own flower-growing talents are slow to emerge, and she is coached to "Just be yourself, think about what you like, and the magic will do the rest!" Soon, though, she wonders "what delightful treasures waited elsewhere" and sets off for the Queen's garden. Despite the forbidding steel gates and robotic guards, Billie doesn't hesitate in offering her flower-growing services. Her cousins arrive to find her chained and sobbing, but before they help her escape they strangely admonish her: "You cannot grow real flowers if you are unhappy." Drouhard's color cartoonlike illustrations feature twinkling-eyed, floppy-eared unicorns. Pass on this cliché-ridden tale.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

Billie learns that adventure isn't all it's cracked up to be in this tired reiteration of a very old theme. This unicorn's cornfield surroundings appear lackluster compared to the "mystical forest" where her cousins Rhubarb and Smudge abide. Her magical relatives create spectacular garden scenes, but Billie's best attempts to beautify the world yield only corn. Intrigued by rumors of the queen's luscious landscape, she's tricked by the evil monarch and kept hostage until she gains self-confidence. Drouhard's background in animation is apparent in fantastic, rainbow-sparkly spreads; the treacherous royal makes for a charismatic aggressor behind her cold castle walls (recalling an Alice in Wonderland whimsy, Tim Burton–style.) Striking facial expressions complete with doe eyes, elfin ears and buck teeth suit the overall aesthetic, though these unicorns do not look remotely equine. Unfortunately, earnest-yet-vague word choices lead to a flat presentation: "Rhubarb and Smudge took care of the woods in their own special way." Heavy-handed dialogue does nothing to relieve the formulaic plot. "Just be yourself, think about what you like, and the magic will do the rest!" gushes Rhubarb. The trite resolution jars. Even this unicorn family's mystical gifts are unable to support this clunky narrative. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews