A unicorn named Sparkle and the perfect valentine

PreS-Gr 2--Lucy and Sparkle are preparing for a Valentine's party. While Lucy is busy making valentines that will tell each of her friends at the party what she loves about them, Sparkle sneaks off with art supplies to make his own card for Lucy. But the beautiful card he imagines is a lot harder for a unicorn to execute. He painstakingly cuts out a heart with his horn, makes a hoof mark for each of the things he loves about Lucy, and dips his horn into paint to add a "squiggly line" for a poem. Sparkle is pleased with his card, until he sees the beautiful ones on display at the party. Teary-eyed, Sparkle tosses his in the trash. But Lucy finds it, declares it "perfect," and shares the card she has made for Sparkle as well. Sparkle transitions from bowed dejection to recognition that he is loved as he and Lucy look into each other's eyes and eventually share a hug. The watercolor-and-ink cartoon illustrations delightfully depict brown-skinned Lucy, with her spiraling black curls, and her goatlike companion. Readers whose skills do not yet meet their expectations will resonate with Sparkle's experience. VERDICT The message that one need not be perfect to be loved is an excellent one to share during Valentine's Day story hours.--Marianne Saccardi

On Valentine's Day, Lucy gets ready to make valentines for the friends she loves. Her unicorn, Sparkle, joins her, but Lucy tells him not to worry--after all, as she says, "No one expects a valentine from a unicorn." Even though Sparkle knows Lucy is in charge of valentines, he wants to tell Lucy all the reasons that he loves her. For example, he loves her "curly black hair" (she also has brown skin), her "big laugh," and the fact that she always makes Sparkle feel loved. Sparkle decides to make Lucy a valentine only to find that there's a reason that no one expects valentines from unicorns. For one thing, he doesn't know how to write--or how to use scissors. He laboriously cuts out a heart with his horn and creates a message with hoofmarks, tasks that turn out to be harder than he thought. Eventually, Sparkle creates a valentine that he's happy with--that is, until he accompanies Lucy to a Valentine's Day party. When he sees what the other children have made, his card for Lucy seems clumsy and inadequate. Sparkle feels terrible until he realizes that what really matters is how Lucy feels--not only about the valentine Sparkle made, but about Sparkle himself. The book's text is charming and understatedly witty, and the illustrations are both humorous and sweet. The story's message of self-acceptance is perfectly suited for young readers whose creative visions don't yet match their abilities. A sweet and funny Valentine's Day read. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.