sparkling stories

Marigold Heavenly Nostrils is back in all her magnificence. She is by far the most beautiful unicorn of all, which she will gladly tell you, repeatedly, given the chance. She spends time with her favorite human, Phoebe, as they share their adventures, their thoughts, and their admiration for Marigold’s beauty.

Marigold’s sister Florence has a book club. To be a part of the club, Marigold has to set aside her self-absorption and not speak for a week. Florence puts a spell on her to make it happen. Mrigold tries to text with Phoebe, but the hoof typing causes issues. Marigold then stays up all night to read the book and goes to the book group to share her penetrating insights. But then she falls asleep, missing the entire group but dominating it in her dreams.

Another unicorn, Lord Splendid Humility has been hiding his beauty in bushes and is tired. He wants to come out, but he doesn’t want to be seen. Or, he doesn’t want to be seen by anyone whose memory he can’t erase later if need be. Phoebe suggest her friend Dakota. Dakota isn’t impressed by much, so she isn’t overwhelmed at the sight of L.S.H. and they become friends.

There are unicorn songs sung to the tunes of popular Christmas songs, Phoebe has a sparkling competition with some apple juice, and they play a game based on a unicorn space tale, The Search for Planet Oat.

Marigold and Phoebe talk about how families have their own unique forms of communication, discuss friendship, and when Marigold goes missing, Phoebe can’t rest until she finds her best friend.

Unicorn Book Club is book 21 in the popular Phoebe and Her Unicorn series by Dana Simpson, where a girl and a unicorn share their thoughts, their feelings, their differences, and their similarities as best friends. These books are colorful and whimsical, with honest discussions along with fun stories. It’s the perfect mix of sweetness and snark, and it perfectly captures the wonder of friendship and the beauty of unicorns in one enjoyable collection of comics.

I have been a big fan of Phoebe and Marigold for years, and I never get tired of these books. They are the perfect escape when life is difficult and you need some warmth and humor to take off the hard edges of reality. While I am slightly older than the suggested reading age of 8-12 (by decades), I can surely attest that these books are good for the young at heart as well. But one of my favorite features of these books is a glossary at the end, so younger readers can find descriptions and pronunciations of the words that they may not have learned yet. So Simpson doesn’t talk down to her readers, but instead offers them a step up into a deeper understanding and appreciation of words.

Egalleys for Unicorn Book Club were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing through Edelweiss, with many thanks.