I'm a Unicorn

by Helen Yoon, Helen Yoon (Illustrator)

Overview

What happens when a one-horned calf with impeccable logic is convinced they’re a unicorn? Helen Yoon spins an endearing comedy of self-determination for gigglers everywhere.

“See?” cries the calf. “Uni means one, and corn means horn!” Even their baby picture proves it: they were born with one horn! But as the eager little calf continues their research, a budding identity crisis arises when they realize they don’t quite check all the boxes—should a certain lack of moonlight sparkle or silky mane or rainbow poop decide the issue. Perhaps some unexpected encouragement from a pack of “real” unicorns might be just the assurance they need? Helen Yoon, the comic talent behind Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover) and the anarchic Off-Limits, returns with a clarion call for self-doubters everywhere to embrace who they are—unicorn or otherwise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536229202
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/13/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Helen Yoon is a professional illustrator and a freelance concept designer. She attended ArtCenter College of Design and the University of California, Irvine. She is the author-illustrator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), her debut picture book, and Off-Limits. Helen Yoon lives in the Los Angeles area.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2022

Born with just one horn, a saucer-eyed calf decides they’re a unicorn—after all, isn’t that the irrefutable definition in Unicorns: Facts & Myths, a volume that the calf displays to readers? “I’m magical,” says the brown bovine, pirouetting, elated, in crisp white space. But further perusal of the book reveals qualities the protagonist sorely lacks, including a silky mane and the ability to poop rainbows (the latter verified in an extended and sweetly funny potty scene). When two actual unicorns appear—portrayed in the mixed-media art as sparkly, sleek, and self-possessed—the calf abjectly apologizes for being an imposter. But the unicorns are hardly exacting: if you have one horn, you’re one of them. As for not pooping rainbows, a magical parting gift fixes that—“It always works for us,” says one unicorn insouciantly. Yoon’s (Off-Limits) fresh twist on the theme of acceptance is to treat the big moment of acknowledgement not with hugs or celebration, but rather with comic composure—in doing so, offering hope around fears and the bar for belonging. Ages 3–7. Agency: Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Yoon’s art is simple but effective, with the wide-eyed calf and their heavily tabbed research book set against clean white backgrounds, and when the unicorns finally make their appearance, they bring a riot of color and glitter. . . a reminder that you don’t need sparkles to be fabulous (though rainbow poop does help).
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Clever. . . [a] conversation starter on acceptance and openness.
—Kirkus Reviews

Just when you think all the unicorn stories have been done, Yoon comes along with this gem. . . . White-page backgrounds amplify Yoon’s simple but highly expressive and hilarious illustrations, and kids will cackle throughout Cow’s dramatic emotional journey.
—Booklist

The narrator of this book makes an adorable entrance through the initial pages: first its horn, then its ears, then the top of its head before declaring “I’m a unicorn.” But are they? . . . Yoon’s artwork is vibrant and expressive. Her small protagonist may not be as sparkly as the other elegant unicorns, but they are chock full of personality.
—School Library Journal

Sure, this unicorn might be a little short on sparkling, twinkling and having teardrops that turn into lollipops, but with a little help this one-horned wonder achieves its destiny, as a ... well, readers will just have to decide for themselves.
—The Virginian Pilot

This unique, humorous take definitely stands out. . . Along with some big laughs (did I mention the rainbow poop?) this book has a powerful message of openness and acceptance of differences.
—Book Riot

From the Publisher

10/28/2022

K-Gr 2—Gr K-2 The narrator of this book makes an adorable entrance through the initial pages: first its horn, then its ears, then the top of its head before declaring "I'm a unicorn." But are they? While they have one horn, the rest of their features are decidedly bovine. Our poor narrator is thrown into a tailspin as they read a book about unicorns and realize they lack many of their typical features. However, a passing pair of unicorns declares that they can be a unicorn because they have one horn. The identity crisis is neatly settled. Yoon's artwork is vibrant and expressive. Her small protagonist may not be as sparkly as the other elegant unicorns, but they are chock full of personality. The traditional unicorns are sleek and beautifully posed. There are no backgrounds. The white space allows the reader to focus on the emotions of the large character illustrations. VERDICT While this book has all the tropes present in numerous unicorn books, the theme of personal identity may be enough to differentiate it from other titles in a large collection.—Chance Lee Joyner

School Library Journal

2022-05-25
A magical act of kindness resolves a small creature’s big identity crisis.

The narrator of this picture book appears to be a small bull calf with only one horn. After the protagonist reads from a book entitled Unicorns: Facts and Myths, that singular protuberance leads to the joyful titular declaration, “I’m a unicorn!” However, further reading and reflection on the matter soon provoke doubts. The narrator doesn’t “poop rainbows.” Nor do they “sparkle in the sunshine and twinkle in the moonlight,” and their mane does not “flow like silk and smell like peach candy.” After fretting over other self-perceived deficiencies, the narrator spies “REAL unicorns” in the distance and is terribly worried about what they will think of them. While the cartoon-style illustrations help to enhance the humor of the spare story, with the narrator displaying a range of expressions and contrasting sharply with the colorful elegance of the “REAL unicorns,” the resolution may strike some as too quick. It arrives when all concerns are laid to rest when the magical creatures nonchalantly accept the narrator as a unicorn—after all, the protagonist does have only one horn. The unicorns even offer a mysterious orb of a fruit to help with rainbow poops. Still, it’s a clever take on a well-trod topic that should spark conversations on identity. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A solid, though not groundbreaking, conversation starter on acceptance and openness. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews