Giddy Up, Unicorn!

Time changes some things—but not all. Emma loves unicorns. Her bedroom walls are covered with unicorn posters, and she owns loads of unicorn toys and dolls. Her indulgent, tattooed, long-haired, long-bearded dad reads her stories about unicorns every night before bed. Guess what costumes they wear at Halloween, with Emma riding on Dad’s back, calling out, “GIDDY UP, UNICORN!”? Time has a way of passing, though, and interests inevitably change. As Emma grows up, her passions turn from unicorns to novels about vampires; wall space gives way to posters of singers. Eventually, Emma leaves home to start her own family; the unicorns are stored in the closet. Happily, Emma’s daughter, Elna, loves unicorns as much as her mom once did. It’s a good thing Grandpa kept all the unicorn paraphernalia. When Elna visits, Grandpa gives her plenty of unicorn-back rides and even lets her take the whole box of unicorns home. For the first time in ages, his house appears to be devoid of unicorns. Or is it? What’s that tattoo on Grandpa’s belly? This sweet, wistful import, originally published in Spain and translated from Spanish, considers the inexorable passage of time and how happy, loving memories and traditions enrich new generations. The colorful digital illustrations are filled with warmth and humor. The protagonists are light-skinned.Unicorn buffs and all kids lucky enough to have grandparents will appreciate this tender, knowing tale.—Kirkus Reviews

Dani Gómez is the author-illustrator of many children’s books. He studied journalism and audiovisual communication, completing a PhD with a thesis on comics, and teaches 2D animation, character design, and film language. Explaining stories through drawing is his true passion. His main source of inspiration is his daughter Txell, whom he loves madly and whom he uses as an excuse to justify his love for unicorns.