Nerdycorn

Like all the other unicorns, the mythical protagonist at the center of this story by Root (Hamsters Don't Fight Fires!) and Kraan (Something's Wrong! A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear) has a lavishly curly mane and tail. But instead of living a life of unrelenting frivolity like her peers ("spectacular leaps over shimmering rainbows... splashing majestically in mountain waterfalls"), Fern is a STEM superfan who prefers chemistry, programming, and solving problems. Shunned and teased, Fern still chooses to be a mensch: she is "smart, a good friend, and always willing to help others." Eventually fed up, Fern understandably hesitates when the other unicorns realize they need her know-how to save the Sparkle Dance, but her good heart prevails, and the others are so impressed by her skills that they become STEM converts, too. Thematic repetition makes this tale less than subtle, and its message--practicing generosity in the face of being mistreated--strikes an unfortunate note. But Kraan's extravagantly imagined wood block illustrations offer a feast of rainbow colors and subtle textures that are filled with lovely details, from the tiny red mushrooms by Fern's front door to her zero-gravity ice-cream machine. Ages 3--8. (May)

Fern's not like other unicorns. She'd rather tinker with robots in her laboratory than "[splash] majestically" in waterfalls, and she prefers chemistry to glitter (as if chemistry can't include glitter!). Where other unicorns are adorned with hearts, stars, and flowers, Fern sports dots, stripes, and a tool belt, though the distinction can be hard to discern in pastel-dominated art that makes everyone look charmingly twee. Of course, other unicorns make fun of Fern's bespectacled nerdiness and exclude her from their Sparkle Dance Parties. So she decides never to help them again, in a fabulously grumpy double-page close-up: "The next time they need an engine rebuilt, turbo-sprocket installed, or hydrothermal capacitor welded, they are on their own." The text seems to be going for as many technical-sounding words with as little meaning as possible--though the illustrations do properly depict several tools, including a truing stand, a multimeter, and calipers. As it turns out, the Sparkle Dance Parties depend on technology, and Fern's the only one who can fix the "starlight bedazzler," so the rude unicorns return to beg. At first Fern doesn't bother, but she eventually concludes that "being smart, a good friend, and always willing to help others [is] far more important than holding on to a grudge." Once she saves the dance, the other unicorns clamor to celebrate her skills; those hoping for a wise take on uniqueness should look elsewhere. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 62% of actual size.) Probably fun for unicorn lovers. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.