Manolo and the Unicorn

by Jackie Az a Kramer, Jonah Kramer, Zach Manbeck (Illustrator)

Overview

A story about seeing and believing wholeheartedly in the extraordinary—unicorns and oneself

To Manolo the world is a magical place—a place where he searches for the most magical creature of all: a unicorn. Manolo loves unicorns. When the Wild Animal Parade is announced at school, and Manolo declares that he will come as his favorite animal, his classmates say there is no such thing as unicorns, making the world feel ordinary. That is, until Manolo meets a real unicorn—wild and graceful—and discovers that the world is truly extraordinary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951836528
Publisher:	Cameron Kids
Publication date:	04/18/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	446,068
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jackie Azúa Kramer is an award-winning children’s book author whose books include Dorothy & Herbert: An Ordinary Couple and Their Extraordinary Collection of Art, published by Cameron Kids. Her hopes are to write stories that reflect who children see in the mirror and what they see out of their windows. She lives with her family in Long Island, New York. Jonah Kramer is a New York City–based actor, singer, dancer, and now children’s book author. He has travelled as a performer both nationally and internationally. He is delighted to coauthor his first book with his amazing mom. Zach Manbeck is a children’s book author and illustrator who loves to create stories that advocate for characters that haven’t yet had a chance to live in books. He lives in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

2023-02-08
When you search for magic, you may find it.

“To Manolo, the world was a magical place.” The brown-skinned boy’s journal is flush with unicorn drawings, but what he longs to see is an “actual” unicorn. Others aren’t charmed by Manolo’s dreams. The “Wild Animal Parade” is an eagerly anticipated school event where students dress up as the creature of their choice, but Manolo’s announcement that he’ll be a unicorn is met with derision and a stinging rebuke: “Boys don’t like unicorns.” Suddenly Manolo’s world isn’t magical; dejected, he starts to believe that “Maybe unicorns aren’t real.” But then…a unicorn magically materializes, and Manolo goes for a ride, returning home with a prized souvenir from its tail: “a shimmery strand as light as air and as strong as iron.” Next morning, Manolo hurriedly prepares his splendid costume, complete with magical strand. After he tells his diverse classmates about unicorns, they urge him to lead them in a search for one. Manolo stands just a bit taller. This sweet story conveys an empowering message about being true to oneself and one’s dreams. The language is often poetic, airy, and lush, though the ending is rushed. The bright illustrations, from which rays of light seem to emanate often, are delicate and suit a tale about a magical creature. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will leave little ones reassured that the world is a magical place if they truly believe it is. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews