Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great

by Bob Shea Narrated by Jared Goldsmith

Overview

Creator of the hilarious "Dinosaur vs." series, Bob Shea charms young listeners once more with Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great. Goat was having a rompin' good time until Unicorn moved to the neighborhood. Now he feels like yesterday's news--everyone loves Unicorn! But when the two share lunch, Goat realizes that Unicorn might not have it so easy after all.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

How can an ordinary goat compete when a unicorn with magical powers moves to town? The goat bakes marshmallow squares. The unicorn can make it rain cupcakes! The goat tries a magic trick. The unicorn can turn things into gold! It’s no coincidence that the goat’s accomplishments look like those of the average second-grader; his sulky tone sounds like one, too (“Dopey Unicorn! Thinks he’s so great!”). It turns out that the unicorn actually has some goat envy (“Whoa! What is up with your hooves? Those things are out of control!”). Now, it’s the goat’s turn to show a little nonchalance: “Oh, these? These bad boys are ‘cloven.’ It means they’re split at the end.” “Stupid regular hooves,” mutters the unicorn. Shea (Cheetah Can’t Lose) embellishes his characters’ blobby bodies with black line accents and, in the case of the unicorn, sparkles, stars, and rainbows. Now firm friends, unicorn and goat fantasize about defeating evil with their respective superpowers: “Taste my cloven justice!” yells the goat. It’s a great study in grass-is-greener envy management and a nonstop giggle generator. Ages 2–6. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)

From the Publisher

Brilliant in execution and hysterical in dialogue; Shea's pretty great, too.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Shea's cleverly written tale makes this a standout, but there's substance here, too…. Will delight unicorn fans and perhaps create new fans for goats.—Booklist

“A great study in grass-is-greener envy management and a nonstop giggle generator.” —Publishers Weekly

“Shea's honest portrayal of negative emotions mixed with offbeat comedy should make this a winner.”—Horn Book

“Shea's cartoon illustrations are perfectly suited to expressing the characters' varied emotions while keeping the story very tongue-in-cheek, with lots of giggle-worthy details. An ideal choice for fans of silliness.”—School Library Journal

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—Rainbows, smiling cupcakes, and flying unicorns in one picture book can be a recipe for a cutesy-wootsy disaster, but not so in this hilarious friendship story. Nothing has gone right for Goat since Unicorn arrived. He seems to best Goat in every way, including making it rain cupcakes. "Dopey Unicorn! Thinks he's so great!…Look at me! I'm Unicorn! I think I'm so-o-o cool!" the goat cries, in full-on Willems's Pigeon mode, while sporting a plunger in mockery of Unicorn's horn. However, when an unlikely scenario involving goat-cheese pizza brings the two together, Goat discovers that Unicorn isn't so full of himself after all-"Just look at your fantastic horn"; "Eh, it's just for show. All it's good for is pointing" -and they become fast friends. Shea's cartoon illustrations are perfectly suited to expressing the characters' varied emotions while keeping the story very tongue-in-cheek, with lots of giggle-worthy details. An ideal choice for fans of silliness.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Kirkus Reviews

Goat can't stop comparing himself to Unicorn and coming up short. With slumped shoulders and a sulky frown, Goat is the picture of dejection. Before Unicorn moved in, he thought he was pretty cool. But now? He just can't compete. Goat bakes marshmallow squares to share with his friends, but Unicorn makes it rain cupcakes! (Brightly colored ones with adorable smiles, at that.) Goat tries to wow everyone with his new magic trick, but Unicorn is able to turn things into gold. "Dopey Unicorn! Thinks he's so great!" Goat scoffs and stamps in a jealous huff. But suddenly, one slice of goat-cheese pizza changes everything. Goat finds out that Unicorn is actually envious of him, too. Who knew that cloven hooves were so awesome? Shea examines a universal struggle that readers of all ages face: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Unicorn may seem like he has it all--on every page he is surrounded by a glow of love and adoration, with rainbows and sparkles ready to burst forth at any moment--but that doesn't mean he's content. Even unicorns want to eat something besides glitter now and then. Brilliant in execution and hysterical in dialogue; Shea's pretty great, too. (Picture book. 3-6)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169245110
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/25/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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