Unicorn Books for Preschoolers
It is impossible not to catch the attention of preschoolers by unicorns. Their beautiful and magical stories, amazing worlds, and even funny characters can make any story time seem more exciting and entertaining.
While talking about unicorn books for preschoolers, it is important to remember that these books can teach children about friendship, kindness, self-confidence, and acceptance of people different from us without making the story boring and too educational.
However, there are a lot of fantastic stories about unicorns on the market, and it may become challenging to choose a good one. Some books are good to be read before sleep, while others are good to spend an entire afternoon reading. In this article, I will compare six popular books, explain their uniqueness, and who can enjoy each story the most.
Quick Comparison Table
Here is a quick look at the stories, themes, and readers each book suits best.
| Book | Key Feature | Main Focus | Best For | Rating |
| Uni the Unicorn | Magical friendship | Friendship | Read-alouds | 9.5/10 |
| How to Catch a Unicorn | Rhymes and silly traps | Imagination | Interactive reading | 9/10 |
| Thelma the Unicorn | Funny transformation | Self-acceptance | Humor | 9/10 |
| Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great | Funny conflict | Friendship | Social learning | 8.5/10 |
| Not Quite Narwhal | Unusual fantasy | Belonging | Thoughtful reading | 9/10 |
| Uni Paints a Rainbow | Short board book | Colors | Younger children | 8.5/10 |
These ratings are editorial opinions based on experience, quality, usefulness, or relevance; they are not official ratings.
Why Do People Choose Unicorn Books for Preschoolers?
The unicorn in any story can be a gateway to a place of infinite possibilities for a child. For children who enjoy magical characters and imaginative worlds, other fantasy books can also provide an exciting reading experience, including the best book of the Harry Potter series. What could simply be friendship turns out to be magical, and this is why unicorn books for kids is popular among parents.
There could be other reasons behind the popularity of these books since they give a child something to talk about. They can want to discuss a character from the book, their favorite picture, or what they would do in that situation.
6 Best Unicorn Books for Preschoolers
This review is based on factors such as the story, age suitability, illustrations, themes, and fun in sharing books. As children’s interests differ, the review includes books with varying styles of reading experience.
Uni the Unicorn
Rating: 9.5/10
Best for: Friendship and read-alouds
The book Uni the Unicorn, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, tells the story of a young unicorn named Uni who is convinced that little girls are real while the rest of the unicorns are skeptical of this fact. This becomes a cute story about friendship, fantasy, and belief.
It has beautiful illustrations that make the reading experience fun for both parent and child. Parents can stop reading in between and ask the children to predict what will happen next.
How to Catch a Unicorn
Rating: 9/10
Best for: Interactive story time
How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton is about various silly methods of catching a unicorn. This is one of those unicorns storybooks in which children can be involved and guess what could work and make their own silly traps.
The rhythm created by the rhyming allows for an engaging storytelling process. It can be very useful if the child likes books in which they can predict, laugh and interact.
Thelma the Unicorn
Rating: 9/10
Best for: Humorous and self-acceptance
In the story by Aaron Blabey, the main character Thelma is a pony who aspires to be a unicorn. Once her wish comes true, however, things are not as great as she had hoped.
This book is amusing while showing the importance of acceptance of oneself. Preschool kids can appreciate the unusual story of Thelma, but at the same time realize that there is nothing magical about being different or popular.
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
Rating: 8.5/10
Best for: Friendship and comparison
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea features Goat, whose frustration with Unicorn is caused by Unicorn’s seemingly perfect life. Unicorn is capable of flying and casting spells, but Goat starts feeling too ordinary.
Comparison and jealousy are shown through the humorous lens of this story. It may be useful for parents discussing the fact that everyone has unique strengths and should not be compared with others.
Not Quite Narwhal
Rating: 9/10
Best for: Identity and belonging
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima is about Kelp, who was raised in an underwater world thinking he was a narwhal, but later realizes he is a unicorn.
The gentle story allows readers to see the beauty in differences. Unusual underwater setting gives it a fresh spin compared to other stories about unicorns.
Uni Paints a Rainbow
Rating: 8.5/10
Best for: Younger preschoolers and colors
This board book introduces the main character, Uni the Unicorn, through its colorful pages. Children learn about a magical character in the story and also about colors.
The compact length of the book suits children who are not ready for longer books yet. Parents can take their time looking at the pictures and identifying colors and objects.
How Unicorn Books for Preschoolers Change as Children Grow
The needs of a child when it comes to reading evolve with age. While a three-year-old child will appreciate books with colorful illustrations and simple plots, an older preschooler will be able to enjoy more complex adventures with many characters and plot twists.
With a growing confidence level, familiar characters help to ease into books with much text as well. The child who has gotten acquainted with a character like Uni will not hesitate to read books about it.
The parents may also alter their reading approach by asking questions and making predictions instead of reading all the sentences aloud, and allowing children to describe the illustrations in their own words.
This is why unicorn books for ages 3-5 may not just be a brief trend. A child’s fondness of magical characters becomes a reason for reading more books and creating stories.
Also, Check – Best Adventure Books
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore common questions about unicorn books for preschoolers and literary works.
1. Which are the top unicorn books for preschoolers?
Uni the Unicorn, How to Catch a Unicorn, and Thelma the Unicorn are some of the great options. It will depend on the child’s preferences, attention span, and favorite type of book.
2. Are unicorn books ideal for 3-year-olds?
Yes. They should go for shorter books, both picture and board books. Make sure that the story is interesting to understand with beautiful illustrations.
3. Which unicorn book is about self-acceptance?
The one about Thelma is appropriate for such a topic because it shows that popularity and being pretty does not mean happiness.
4. Do unicorn books make children enjoy reading?
Absolutely. Children can listen to the story, talk about the illustration, guess what is going to happen next, and learn new vocabulary. Having a favorite character makes them want to read another story.
