Learning to fly

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Young Claudia's whole life changes upon learning that unicorns and magic are real when she and her parents move to Unicornia. After her first, disastrous day attending the Unicornia Academy of Magic, however, Claudia worries she can't keep up; her initial attempt at potion-making ends in a spontaneous eruption and she has to talk her way out of flying on the back of a unicorn in front of her entire class and instructor because she's too nervous. She has a flying exam in two days, and if she doesn't pass, she'll be moved down a class. But her new friends Pippa and Sara assure Claudia that they won't let that happen. They show Claudia around school, help her with her lessons, and encourage her to seize the opportunity to experience new and wonderful things. Empathetic first-person narration and quippy dialogue by Punset (the Best Friends Forever series) pairs symbiotically with thickly lined, pink-accented comic drawings by Spanish illustrator Vicedo. The result is a fast-paced series opener about the power of friendship that encourages a willingness to try new things, even when one is scared. Character skin tones match the hue of the page. Ages 5--7. (Dec.)

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 1--3--In this series starter, Claudia and her family have recently moved to Unicornia, a whimsical world where magical backpacks, enchanted food, cloud-like cars powered by cotton candy syrup, and classes on potions and unicorn riding are part of everyday life. On her first day, Claudia accidentally causes a potion to explode, and her nerves get the best of her when she avoids riding a unicorn. To her dismay, the riding teacher, Mr. Trot, announces an exam in just two days. Fearing she will fail, Claudia finds hope when two new friends, Pippa and Sara, offer to teach her everything she needs to know. These pink-filled pages are a unicorn-lover's dream. The text is brief, and the plentiful illustrations make it an ideal introductory chapter book for early readers. VERDICT Unicorn-loving children won't leave this one on the shelf for long. A delightful and worthwhile addition to any collection.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Welcome to Unicornia, a hidden city founded to protect unicorns, once on the brink of extinction. Here, cars run on cotton candy syrup, traffic lights "play music and spray fireworks," and the local theme park boasts a roller coaster made of strawberry chewing gum. Translated from Spanish, the book follows Claudia, a young girl who's just moved to town, as she excitedly describes everything that makes Unicornia special. But the city isn't perfect; Claudia still has to go to school--carrying her magic weightless cloud backpack. After a few bumps along the road at the Unicornia Academy of Magic, Claudia quickly befriends Pippa, Sara, and a pink crow named Nibbles. The conflicts she encounters are fairly min she experiences another letdown when she fails to leap onto a unicorn's back during a flying lesson, but chocolate croissants quickly improve her mood. "Believe in yourself," "give it a try," "friends make everything better," "maybe we're more alike than I thought": Readers who need to hear any of these truisms, or who just want a tale that's full of smiles and sugary desserts, will gobble this one up. Vicedo's line art, blushing with pale pink, bedecks every scene with bows, beads, blooms, stars, curlicues, and hearts. It's a full-length valenti some may find it cloying, but others will salivate for sequels. Characters have skin the white of the page. A fantasia to please Candy Land fans.(Early chapter book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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1 Welcome to Unicornia Claudia Guess what! In the land of Unicornia, buses have wings instead of wheels, and if you look up at the sky, you don't just see birds . . . There are unicorns too! Yes, you heard right: unicorns! Colorful, wonderful unicorns, galloping and cartwheeling between the clouds. I should introduce myself: I'm Claudia. I don't come from Unicornia--or at least, I wasn't born here. I moved here with my parents two weeks ago. The city is tucked away at the edge of the map, where barely anyone can see it. To be honest, when they told me we were coming to live here, I thought it was a dream! But if it is, then I guess dreams really do come true, because Unicornia is real! A long time ago, when unicorns were in danger of going extinct, someone decided to bring them all here to save them. That's how Unicornia came to be. It's the most magical hidden city in the entire universe. Here, traffic lights don't flash colors: they play music and spray fireworks to tell all the cars when to take off. Then there are the cars themselves. In Unicornia, they run on cotton candy syrup instead of gas, so the air always smells like sugar and you can drink the cotton candy syrup like fizzy soda! It's almost, almost as cool as the theme park on the hill with its roller coaster made of strawberry chewing gum and-- "CLAAAUDIA! DINNER'S READY!" When I hear Dad's shout from the kitchen, I go flying out of my bedroom for dinner. Well, not actually flying--here, the unicorns are the ones that fly--but you know what I mean. I move so fast I'm basically flying. I'm about to take a spoonful of soup when Dad turns to me and asks: "Are you all set for tomorrow?" "What's happening tomorrow?" I blink, totally stumped. "What's happening? Tomorrow's your first day at the Unicornia Academy of Magic!" "Tomorrow?!" I half ask, half gasp, jumping up from my chair and accidentally tugging the tablecloth. My soup goes spinning through the air and splashes everywhere! I can't believe it. How could they forget to tell me I start school tomorrow? That's life: Unicornia is great, but it isn't perfect--you still have to go to school, just like everywhere else. After dinner, we get out everything I'll need the next day. There's so much stuff! It's lucky I have my fluffy cloud backpack. I bought it from a magical shop when we arrived in Unicornia, and every time you touch it, it feels like you're stroking a cloud. Because it's a magic backpack, it doesn't weigh anything, even when it's full. I get into bed ready to dream about tomorrow. What will school be like here? How I picture the Unicornia Academy of Magic -Tables and chairs aren't a thing--all the lessons are taught on swings! -There are no exams to take, only games to play and friends to make! -The teachers sing in every lesson, with a magical orchestra in full session. -The classes are on Potions and Sweets, and "spelling" means spells and treats! -There's no such thing as a boring day, just magic and fun all the way! Excerpted from Unicornia: Learning to Fly by Ana Punset All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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