The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn

by Shawn Harris

Overview

Meet this pint-sized unicorn in this funny, modern fairy tale about perception and self-confidence from a Caldecott-Honor winning creator.

Once upon a time, in a land where horses were mythical beasts, there lived a unicorn—a Teeny-Weeny Unicorn. He lived with his family in a palace—one that was extra-large for him, full of extra-large rugs and extra-large food. And when his brother and sister played chess, they used him in place of a pawn.

When it’s just too much to take, Teeny-Weeny Unicorn runs away—and has a chance encounter with a salty gnome. It's then that he suddenly starts to wonder... IS he teeny weeny? Or is he just the right size?

Every kid will relate to Teeny-Weeny Unicorn, as he figures out how to live in a world not made for his stature. With wit and charm, as well as delightful illustrations, Shawn Harris creates a modern classic made for sharing—be it at bedtime or on a story time rug.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593571897
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	02/06/2024
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	653,543
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Shawn Harris is an award-winning creator of books for kids. His authorial debut, Have You Ever Seen A Flower, was called a “stunning tour de force…” by The New York Times, and was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor. The National Museum of Wildlife Art awarded Shawn’s cut-paper art in A Polar Bear in the Snow (by Mac Barnett) the Bull-Bransom Award for excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife. Harris has illustrated a number of other books, including Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, and Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy. Shawn lives in Northern California, where he also likes to write songs, surf, and play racquetball.

Editorial Reviews

11/06/2023

The titular hero of this fanciful story by Harris (Have You Ever Seen a Flower?) lives in a castle with his siblings, Fancy Annie and Prince Butterscotch, and parents. Fresh chalk-pastel drawings and a confident narrative lay out the tiny pink being’s miseries in a time when “it was common to see a unicorn.” It’s bad enough that everything in the castle is too big for him, but the unicorn’s larger siblings also use him as a chess piece and exclude him from swimming in the moat. “A gumball would make a bigger splash than you. You’re so teeny-weeny, you’d get lost in the lawn,” Fancy Annie taunts. Then the small unicorn actually does get lost in the lawn, where he meets a diminutive, extremely assertive pink gnome who accuses him of having damaged her sports car, and demands repayment instead of apology (“Sorry doesn’t feed the bullfrog,” she says). The unicorn feels he is much too small to have made such an impact—or is he? Sly wit, distinctive characterizations, and a free hand with fairy tale elements fuel this unbridled exploration of relative influence and size. Ages 3–7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "At last! A unicorn book as charming as the species it highlights." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A delightful, buoying romp." —Booklist, starred review

"Sly wit, distinctive characterizations, and a free hand with fairy tale elements fuel this unbridled exploration of relative influence and size." —Publishers Weekly

"The playful, dry tone and folkloric lesson could lend well to a felt-board performance." —The Bulletin

"This original take on unicorn life and troubles encourages a wry grin on every page." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 2023-11-04
Size is relative, even if your relatives are particularly huge.

The teeny-weeny unicorn has it tough. Everything in his kingdom, from the food to the rugs to the toys, is ginormous—at least, in his opinion. Maybe that’s why the unicorn’s siblings like to use him as a pawn in their chess games. When his siblings refuse to go swimming with him in the moat (“a gumball would make a bigger splash than you,” his brother sneers), the unicorn runs off in a huff into the tall grasses of the castle’s lawn. There, he meets a particularly teeny gnome who is furious with him. Without realizing it, our hero somehow managed to smash the gnome’s sporty roadster with his “giant” hoof. Despite the unicorn’s protestations that he’s far too tiny to have crushed the car, the even smaller gnome insists on full repayment. Payment is forthcoming, and at last our hero’s small stature works to his benefit. As the book nears its conclusion, the lesson appears to be particularly pertinent for those young readers just beginning to discover both their vastness and their insignificance at the same time. “We are all teeny-weeny. We are all giant. And we are all just the right size.” Facial expressions and visual gags complement the text perfectly, all thanks to Harris’ particular skill with chalk pastel. The female gnome has a bushy white beard that obscures her features; only a long pink nose is visible.

At last! A unicorn book as charming as the species it highlights. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews