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Four Bad Unicorns ISBN: 9781839131035
Patterson, Rebecca
Published by Andersen Press Ltd, 2022
Connie, who uses a wheelchair, and her big sister, Frankie are excellent friends and love playing together. They particularly like to play Unicorns because they are both 'Unicorn crazy'. On this particular morning, they are playing Unicorn Farmers, their 'best game ever' when the doorbell rings and it's the children next door, wanting to join in the fun. This is less than welcome to both girls because Ada is the bossiest of bosses and always wants to decide what everyone must play. Her little brother Colin goes along with this, probably because he is used to it, but Ada always seems to give Connie the unimportant roles, like 'a wall' or 'a sleeping unicorn' so that Ada can use the wheelchair while she proclaims that she is Queen of the Unicorns. When she throws them all in prison for not dancing properly, this really isn't fun, and the prisoners rebel. They 'bash down the walls', and escape on their 'bad unicorn train' much to Ada's loud displeasure, and her attempts to make them obey only result in their saying, 'Bad unicorns don't care!' and laughing happily. Of course, Ada bursts into tears and tells them they are 'very bad unicorns', whereupon little Colin says to his sister, 'But you were a bad queen.' They all agree that they need to be good unicorns together, and then manage to play Unicorn Party for the rest of the morning. Great way for kids to handle a bully on their own, and laughter at the bully often works. To treat a child who uses a wheelchair as though she is an inanimate object simply won't do. One hopes that Ada has learned several important lessons, although one feels that she may have to have further practice for awhile! Marvelous comic style pictures with expressive faces and lots of busy activity.
Age: 5+