The Yawnicorn

PreS-Gr 2--A crescent moon hangs high in a starlit night sky as a sleepless pale-skinned girl with red hair and freckles tosses and turns in bed. Her active mind will not settle, her body will not relax, and she cannot catch a wink of sleep. When counting sheep is useless, what is she to do? She calls upon the Yawnicorn, who floats in on a stardust breeze and whisks the girl away on a fantastical journey to find a dreamland made just for her. Gliding over blissful rainbows, lounging in pillowy clouds, and sailing across a serene ocean are just a few dreamy stops along the way. Hamilton shares a sweetly simple bedtime story that feels familiar and steady from the very first read. Rhyming text blends with the fluid movement carried throughout vibrant pencil and watercolor illustrations. A soothing blue and purple palette dominates the illustrations, offset by a few more brightly colored spreads. The use of second-person narration embeds readers into the Yawnicorn's dreamy exploration, as they search for their own slumber. A mindfulness moment is offered in the last few pages, and readers are prompted to calm their bodies: "Your toes are relaxing from one up to ten, and so is each leg.…" This comfy story will not doze long on shelves where the "Ten Minutes to Bed" series is popular. VERDICT A cozy bedtime story sure to unwind the mind and bodies of sleepy young unicorn lovers.--Emily Brush

A mythical beast helps send little ones to sleep. "Your head is all busy, / your legs are all twitchy, / your brain won't stop buzzing, / your blanket is itchy." A young tot with pale skin and a mop of red hair is having trouble falling asleep. But not to fear, the Yawnincorn is here! "He's made up of starshine and magic and light-- / he'll help find a dreamland / for you that's just right." A bright white unicorn swoops in the window on a trail of sparkles. The youngster grabs his hoof, and they soar into the night. The Yawnicorn takes children to whatever imaginary landscape they can dream up. Whether it's sitting on puffy clouds and sliding down rainbows (standard unicorn fare that of course needed to be included), having a musical parade, exploring in the jungle, or diving deep under the sea with turtles and whales, anything is possible as long as you start to yawn once the adventure concludes. The lilting rhymes are soothing and relaxing, and the palette changes from bright pops of color to deep blues and purples as eyelids get heavier. Readers will hopefully stretch and yawn along as they snuggle in for the night. Move over, sheep: another hoofed animal is here to take over bedtime. Snoozy with a touch of sparkle and magic. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.