Review by Booklist Review
Layla is a stylish, friendly black unicorn who lives in the forest with Trevin Troll. The time has come for her to go to unicorn school, and she desperately wants to fit in. Unfortunately, a few small mishaps (popping the ball during a game of horn ball, sitting in gum, wearing flowers in her mane) result in her classmates calling her "woodsy" (a demeaning term). After some kind reassurances from Trevin ("I promise, your time to shine will come"), Layla fortifies herself for another day at school. That day, on a class excursion to the woods, Layla's teacher becomes tangled in a magical bush, and Layla is the only one who knows how to free her, taking her from woodsy to hero in the unicorns' eyes. This candy-colored offering nestles an empowering message amid plenty of whimsy, including appearances by sprites, a goblin, and a Minotaur (all friendly!). This is a great read for children who need reassurance about going to school and making friends as well as for those who feel they don't fit in.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Layla, a jet-black unicorn with a curly gray mane, has had a fun summer exploring her home of Overlook Woods in this picture book by Haddish and Nolen. But when she starts school for the first time at Unicornia, her confidence is badly shaken: the cliquey, pastel-colored unicorns all seem to know one another, and they quickly dub Layla both "newbie" and "woodsy." After two awkward, lonely days, a forest field trip presents Layla with the opportunity to become class hero, when she rescues a teacher from the Ouchie Wowchie Shrub and calls on a friend--a huge minotaur--to help her class find their way back to school. It's a familiar story whose messaging feels shoehorned into often twee prose ("They just don't know how special you are yet... your time to shine will come"), but in Gibson's fanciful, textured art, Layla has both determination and style to spare. Ages 4--8. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Layla, a spirited black unicorn from the Overlook Woods, is nervous about starting school. Trevin, a black troll and Layla's cheerful caregiver since she was a foal, assures Layla that she's ready. On her first day at Unicornia, Layla is mocked by the perfectly groomed, brightly colored unicorns for her "woodsy" ways. Defeated, Layla refuses to return to school, but Trevin rallies her spirits and inspires her resilience. When a class trip to her familiar woods turns disastrous, can Layla take the reins and swiftly employ her woodland knowledge to lead her class back to safety? Haddish's picture book is loosely adapted from her autobiographical essay collection, The Last Black Unicorn. It is unique in its depiction of a black unicorn, diverting from the conventional white or pastel colored unicorns, and offers a rare portrayal of dark-skinned trolls, fairies, and goblins. Gibson's digital cartoon illustrations are warm, vibrant, and sure to attract young readers who enjoy the unicorn stories in Rhiannon Fielding's "Ten Minutes to Bed" series. Unfortunately, Haddish's unicorn tale suffers from a rushed and underdeveloped resolution. The text briefly describes Melvin Minotaur as Layla's friend at the beginning of the story, but he does not appear in plot or illustration until his contribution to the story's conclusion. The outcome just isn't convincing. VERDICT Despite its flaws, for representation alone, this book needs to be in every collection. It offers a mild lesson of resilience but a rarely seen cast of diverse fantasy woodland characters.--Emily Brush
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In Haddish's picture-book debut, co-written by Nolen, a unicorn has a rough start trying to fit in at school. Layla is a curious, free-spirited black unicorn with a coily mane and tail who loves spending summertime exploring Overlook Woods. When it is time for Layla to start going to school, though, she worries that she isn't ready. Her guardian, Trevin Troll, assures her, "She ready." At Unicornia, Layla's attempt to join the other unicorns' game is unsuccessful, and they call her "woodsy." Layla tries dressing up with hair clips and sparkles, but this only makes things worse. Finally, when the class takes a field trip into the woods and the teacher has a mishap, Layla's know-how and friendships with other forest dwellers get her frightened classmates back to school safely. Her friend Melvin Minoatur assures them that there's no need to be afraid of the dark; when he met Layla, he learned "when something's black, it's really just where all the colors meet." Readers will feel for Layla. While her problem fitting in at school is far from original, the details of her world make this a fresh take, a fun way to explore aspects of identity and culture (Layla feels like a stand-in for the Black actress/comedian, who often calls herself "the Last Black Unicorn") or just to enjoy at surface level. The colorful, cartoon-style illustrations show refreshing diversity in the world of fantastical beings, and the striking black unicorn will do wonders for cultural perceptions of beauty. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A winner on many levels. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
