Picturebook Review: Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea is another enjoyable offering from one of my favorite picturebook authors. The story is introduced by a goat who thinks everything was just fine until the unicorn showed up. Now everyone is enamored of the unicorn that can fly, turn things into gold, and make it rain cupcakes. However, little does the goat know that his jealousy of the unicorn is unfounded because the unicorn wishes that he could do some of the cool stuff that goat can do.

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great is just as much fun as I expect from Bob Shea. The illustrations are big, bold, and a perfect pairing to the words and ideas of the story. I think that readers of all ages can recognize themselves in the poor goat, who feels left behind and unimportant as someone else seems to take the spotlight. However, readers eventually see that while the goat is envious of the bright and seemingly wonderful things a unicorn can do, he is special in his own way.

I think Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great is a great picturebook read for just about everyone, but I think it would especially speak to children facing a new sibling or classmate that they seem a little jealous of, or someone that is sensitive to others having the latest and greatest things (clothes, games, etc.). A perfect pick for starting discussions about how everyone has special qualities or gifts, and that jealousy serves no purpose other than frustrating themselves.