Beatrix and the Unicorn

PreS-Gr 3–Drawing inspiration from the Unicorn Tapestries, Judge weaves a tale of a young medieval girl, Beatrix, seeking a real unicorn after seeing one in a tapestry. Along the journey, Beatrix finds the friendship and a sense of belonging she wants from the animals she encounters along the way. Beatrix helps a frightened rabbit and an injured dog and then discovers the cat from the castle had followed her, inviting all of them to join her and share food. While Beatrix does meet the unicorn in her dreams, she finds that the expectations she had of the unicorn (beautiful, soft, and huggable) apply to her animal companions too. The atmospheric illustrations bring to life the medieval setting. The unicorn is portrayed in vibrant pastel shades, which contrast wonderfully with the muted, dark hues of the forest lit only by a bright lantern.