A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas

A Unicorn Named Sparkle #3

by Amy Young

From writer/illustrator Amy Young comes a sparkly, funny holiday book― A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas , the perfect gift this winter season!

It's Sparkle's first Christmas and Lucy is showing him how to celebrate. Make a snowman. Check . Make a unicorn snowman. Check . Hang stockings, make cookies, and, of course―buy presents! (But don't eat them.) Check. In pure Sparkle fashion, nothing goes as planned, but Lucy ends up learning that love― not presents― is what Christmas is all about.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Holiday, Childrens, Unicorns, Friendship, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2018

About the author

Amy Young trained as a fine artist at Yale and received an MFA in painting from Indiana University as well as a law degree from Harvard. She lives in Spring Lake, Michigan.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored A Unicorn Named Sparkle and A New Friend for Sparkle so despite my Bah Humbug tendencies I was excited to read about Sparkle’s first Christmas. I loved the illustrations and the shiny, glittery bits on the cover. I enjoyed seeing Sparkle lapping up his hot chocolate, playing with the birds and ice skating, and I grinned every time an illustration showed the heart shaped marking on his butt.

I was really disappointed by the story though. While I love giving and receiving presents, Lucy’s obsession with presents in this book and her tantrum made me feel really sorry for poor Sparkle, who she makes cry a puddle of rainbow tears when she declares he’s ruined Christmas. I wish the story had a greater focus on their friendship and the joy they bring to one another rather than shining a spotlight on Lucy’s bad attitude. Yes, Lucy does turn it around in the end but it felt like it was too little, too late and it didn’t undo my desire to give Sparkle a huge hug and adopt him.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy and her pet unicorn Sparkle, who previously appeared in A Unicorn Named Sparkle and A New Friend for Sparkle , return in this third picture-book devoted to their adventures. As Christmas approaches, Lucy becomes quite concerned about presents, frantically shopping for gifts for Sparkle, and instructing him to do the same for her. Sparkle however, is more interested in playing with the birds, and when Christmas morning comes and Lucy has no gifts from her unicorn friend, she reacts very poorly. It is only when she makes Sparkle cry that she relents...

Although author/illustrator Amy Young's artwork in A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas was every bit as cute as in the previous installments of the series, I was so put off by the story that I found I couldn't enjoy it as much as those other titles. Lucy's behavior was so over the top, and her change of heart so late in the story, that I found most of the narrative here rather unpleasant. I found myself thinking, as I read, of an incident from my own childhood, in which I desperately wanted a particular toy for Christmas, only to be given one that was less expensive. They had the same type of box, so until I unwrapped it, I was convinced that I had been given the gift I wanted. I can still recall that feeling of dismay, when I opened it, and the look, almost of fear, on my mother's face as she watched me. I also recall how I thanked her, and how I pretended to love it, spending the entire afternoon running around playing with it, so that her feelings wouldn't be hurt, and she wouldn't suspect how disappointed I was. Oddly enough - or perhaps, not so oddly at all - after a day of play, I ended up loving that toy.

I share this anecdote not to make any claims that I was a saintly child - I could sometimes be quite a devil! - but to demonstrate that children, if taught the correct way of behaving, can learn to control themselves. If taught the real meaning of Christmas, they can look past their (perfectly natural) desire for presents, and focus on love of family and (in religious homes) love of God. Unfortunately, although I think Young's heart is in the right place here, and although she depicts Lucy repenting of her unkindness to Sparkle at the end, somehow that development felt like an afterthought. Although no doubt intended as a lighthearted look at what one shouldn't do, this one just left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Victoria Schmidt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically the story is about Lucy obsessing over Christmas presents the entire time and ends in her throwing a massive tantrum when she thinks Sparkle didn't buy her a Christmas present. She throws the Christmas tree and tells Sparkle that she ruined Christmas and isn't her friend anymore which results in Sparkle heartbroken and crying. Lucy doesn't change her bratty, materialistic tune until she discovered that Sparkle did, in fact, get her a present. She finds a small box she missed and inside is a magical rainbow...or...something? I'm not entirely sure what the functionality of the gift is but she then gives Sparkle a hug and just like that they're friends again. Solely because Sparkle got her a present worthy of her love apparently. Overall a super shitty message and I completely 100 percent hated it.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, snap, commercialism and greed is EVERYWHERE (barely redeemed at the end).

[Senator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical with great illustrations, I like that it circled back to the true magic of Christmas isn't "things" but a good 95% of the book unfortunately focuses on this idea of making Christmas "perfect" by buying. This tone may leave parents and guardians a little hesitant, but maybe, just maybe, through the filter of a kid and the "I want I want" this could be a fun way to get to the heart of the season.

Seriously though, the illustrations are the friggin' cutest!!

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unicorn books are always my favorite. I wish I had a unicorn!

A girl learns that it’s okay just to have great friends around the gift giving holidays.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl and her unicorn go Christmas shopping. Will they find the right gifts for one another? Cute. preschool and up

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the first one. I'm sad to say this was disappointing.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparkle is learning how to celebrate Christmas. But what I don't like about the book is that Sparkle is learning how to celebrate Christmas...Lucy's way.

[Benjamin Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first experience with the "unicorn named sparkle" series, and I think some extra context could have helped. Also, the story focused mostly on the things I like least about Christmas, and even though it sort of turned itself around at the end I wasn't really into it. Hopefully the others are better.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is A Unicorn Named Sparkle’s First Christmas by Amy Young, the third installment of the delightful series about Lucy and her pet “unicorn”.

Lucy and Sparkle the unicorn (established in previous books as a one-horned goat) are preparing for their first Christmas together. Lucy explains the finer points of gift-giving, ties Sparkle’s allowance around his neck, then the friends head to the shops. Lucy points out her favorite toy shop, then heads into the Unicorn Store to buy some treats for her pal (Sparkle, who doesn’t have the slightest idea of what he’s expected to do, gets distracted making friends with some birds). After, Lucy senses a few red flags in Sparkle’s lack of packages or presents under the tree, but she trusts her friend. Unfortunately, when the big day comes, Lucy finds that her friend – being a goat – did not get her anything. And when Sparkle then knocks down the trees and eats the stockings, Lucy loses her temper and yells at him. Confused and hurt, Sparkle beings to cry, and Lucy instantly regrets her words. Making amends, she reassures her friend and sets the tree upright… only then noticing a small box she hadn’t seen before.

Delightful. These stories always center around friendship, and this one added a lovely amount of holiday flair (the friends bake cookies, build a snow man, etc). There’s also a nice lesson in the true meaning of the holidays (hint: it’s not presents). I was a little surprised to see that Sparkle seemed to have a little more magical unicorn-ness than previous installments, but as it fits the story so perfectly, well… ‘tis the season for magic anyway. The art is adorable and festive, the length is great, and JJ loved it. A must for fans of the series, or a lovely holiday story to introduce them to it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Tayler K · Rating 2 out of 5]

More dashed expectations when Lucy expects perfect magic and Sparkle acts like what he is, which is a goat.

Sparkle chases birds instead of buying presents for Lucy while Lucy is buying presents for him. On Christmas morning, surrounded by the many gifts from her parents, Lucy is very upset that Sparkle didn't get her anything. I feel you child; he's your best friend. But, he's a goat. Does he even know what's going on? When he pulls over the tree and munches on the stockings, Lucy shouts at Sparkle and makes him cry. But it turns out Sparkle maybe is a magic unicorn after all, because he cries rainbow tears and suddenly a small box is there filled with... idk what. An actual rainbow and birds and butterflies? A magical representation of Sparkle's favorite things? Love? Magic? It's something, anyway, and that's enough for Lucy. The end.

Still cute illustrations, although I'm not a fan of how disproportionate Lucy's head/mouth are compared to the rest of her. Makes it seem like she's always shouting or bursting with energy, which makes me tired. The endpapers are really nice though just like the first book.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Unicorn Named Sparkle’s First Christmas by Amy Young. PICTURE BOOK. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018. $17. 9780374308131

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A little girl, Lucy, and what appears to be a goat with a unicorn horn, go shopping for Christmas gifts for each other. Sparkle, the unicorn, got distracted during the shopping expedition and didn’t buy anything, but Lucy assumes she is just having the packages delivered. On Christmas morning Lucy is mad that she didn’t get anything from Sparkle, until she finds one last box that is full of rainbows and magic.

This was a darling book about the complicated nature of presents during the holiday season. I like that Lucy apologized when she realized that Sparkle didn’t do what she did to hurt her feelings. And I liked that it all turned out okay in the end. The glitter on the front cover will, I’m sure, be a draw for some young readers.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy and Sparkle celebrate Christmas, but Lucy’s high expectations for Sparkle and emphasis on gifts are a source of conflict.

The story begins with Lucy instructing Sparkle to buy her Christmas presents at the toy store while she goes to the pet store to buy presents for him — completely oblivious to the fact that selecting, purchasing, and wrapping presents is beyond his abilities as demonstrated thus far in the series. Instead of getting Lucy a present, Sparkle just plays with the birds until she returns.

Lucy ruminates about what Sparkle bought her through their Christmas preparations. Then on Christmas morning after tearing through a ridiculous amount of presents from her parents, she discovers Sparkle hadn’t bought her anything and throws a tantrum. Then when Sparkle, being a goat-icorn rather than a unicorn, chews on the Christmas tree and knocks it over, Lucy yells that he ruined Christmas.

After Sparkle begins crying rainbow tears, Lucy does feel some remorse and apologize. But just when the story looks like Lucy will learn her lesson that presents aren’t what is important, she finds a small box among the discarded wrapping. Sparkle has somehow given her a rainbow, thus undermining the moral that Christmas isn’t about presents.

Lucy’s hyper-focus on the gift-giving aspect of Christmas, which was then reinforced, left a bad taste in my mouth as a reader, but this probably won’t bother younger readers.

Readers who enjoy both Christmas and unicorns will undoubtedly enjoy this book. Another Christmas story with unicorns is Peppa Pig: Peppa's Christmas Unicorn.

[Asho · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised I've never reviewed this book before, as it has been part of our collection for at least two Christmas seasons now, although I can no longer remember how it became part of the collection. First of all, I should note that I've never read any of the other books in this Sparkle series so...is Sparkle actually a goat? I'm going to assume that there's a good reason Sparkle looks more like a goat than a traditional unicorn so I won't knock any points for the illustrations. Both girls like this book well enough and request it sometimes during the Christmas season. I don't love the message, though. Lucy is pretty terrible to Sparkle for much of the story, and although she eventually realizes she's being a jerk and apologizes, Sparkle then gives her a Christmas gift anyway which I think defeats the purpose of the "I love you even if you don't buy me a Christmas gift, sorry I was so selfish" message.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy can't wait for Christmas and is especially excited to see what Sparkle, her pet goat, got her. Sparkle isn't nearly as excited. In fact, he didn't buy Lucy anything at all, which leads to a tantrum on Christmas morning, a knocked over tree, and eaten stockings. But wait! What's in that small box that was hiding beneath the tree? This is a silly story about Christmas wishes, dealing with disappointment, and trying to remember the true purpose of the season (which isn't a mountain of gifts). The watercolor and pen illustrations are lively and eye-catching and young readers who celebrate Christmas will relate to Lucy's situation. The writing could be stronger, as well as the message about consumerism. A good addition to collections that already own the other two Sparkle books.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of three Unicorn Named Sparkle books.
I LOVED the original and have been interested in sequels ever since.

The illustrations, as usual, are heart-warming and accessible. Sparkle and Lucy are irreverently adorable with their free-flowing coiffes. They are the perfect pair!

Young does a great job of integrating holiday customs into the story. This is a great resource if you are comparing Christmas to other winter holidays. She also finishes up with a lesson--gifts given from the heart are the best. Not too didactic...and I love the gift Sparkle gave Lucy!!

Curriculum Connections: Christmas; the true meaning of giving; holiday comparisons; consumerism; fun!
Audience: PK3-3rd grade

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me give you a little insight. We have never read any Sparkle the Unicorn books before this one. Cassie loved this book so much. She loved all the silly antics the goat got up to. She even said uhoh when she guessed what was about to happen in the book. It's a silly fun book that helps kids understand the true meaning of Christmas is not presents. Which as a parent we try to install in our children from birth. The illustrations in this book are bright and colorful and really bring out the story. The story-line is really easy to read aloud. I didn't stumble over any words and didn't randomly burst into song. Which occasionally that happens to me if the story has too many rhymes. It's a cute story to check out for Christmas.

[Clwseattle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in this series by Amy Young, A Unicorn Named Sparkle is so delightfully magical. It's creative, fun, thoughtful and hopeful. I consider it a perfect children's book and have purchased it for our granddaughter.

While it takes place at Christmas and A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas is still mischievous and bright, I still miss the magical innocence, the joy of A Unicorn Named Sparkle.

Alas, I won't be buying A Unicorn Named Sparkle's First Christmas, but our granddaughter did love A Unicorn Named Sparkle as much as I did.

3 Stars

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... a mixed bag, to be sure. I loved how Sparkle ate the holiday decorations. I did not love how Lucy is very single-minded about giving and getting Christmas presents--beware, she is VERY INTENSE about the presents. This is, however, a fairly realistic depiction of how many kids see Christmas.

And yet.... the way that Lucy always thinks the best of Sparkle is sweet. Also, the ending was adorable, unicorn horn polish and all.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a bit odd. Mind you, I didn't realize it was the third book in a series when I picked it up. The 'unicorn' looks and acts like a one-horned goat. It seemed a bit like a metaphor for a baby brother or sister.

Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[J.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustration wins here, and the whimsical interaction between Lucy and Sparkle continues to be fun to observe. It seems that Lucy expresses her affection/friendship through purchasing gifts. Sparkle's expresses in the thoughtful selection of magic.

Though, as many other reviewers commented, the importance "gifts" played in Lucy and Sparkle's relationship borderlines unhealthy.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and Sparkle get ready for Christmas by shopping for each other. But on Christmas morning Lucy is disappointed and angry that Sparkle doesn’t have a gift for her, among other ways that Sparkle ruined Christmas. But Lucy soon realizes that the “things” aren’t what makes Christmas special, and that Sparkle does have a surprise for her after all.
Lucy is a relatable characters for lots of children and her growth can be a lesson for readers.

[Olivia S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally got this third book in the series (obviously it's in high demand!) Definitely not as great as the first one, but still pretty cute. There are some adorable funny details, like the Unicorn store and Lucy giving Sparkle an allowance. I also like the idea that we can interpret what Sparkle gave Lucy for Christmas. A solid book. 3+

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super cute story about friendship and (sometimes unreasonable) expectations at Christmas. The story does not explain why Sparkle appears to be a goat, or a goaticorn, if you will. However, it is the third book in this series, so perhaps the explanation lies in one of the two previous Sparkle books.

No matter, Sparkle is adorbs anyway.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

We made the most of this book and talked about greed and how powerful our words are. This was not my favorite book due to the focus on what the little girl is going to receive. We are working on how our words impact others though so this book was perfect for reinforcing that point. Artwork is adorable.

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this series is sputtering now. Sparkle is still cute and all, and funny when he's misbehaving.

But Lucy is insufferable! What a rude, spoiled little snot. She throws a tantrum and berates Sparkle for being a bad friend in every single book.

P.S. He gave Lucy the gift she deserves, which apparently is a box full of rainbow-colored unicorn farts.

[H.M. Shander · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good Christmas book, and unfortunately, this missed the boat.
Lucy’s obsession with presents and her ensuing tantrum when she didn’t get one from Sparkle overwhelmed the ending, instead of focusing on the giving aspect.
The illustrations were cute though, but this wouldn’t be a book I’d recommend to my students.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute book about Sparkle's first Christmas. Sparkle "ruins" Christmas and Lucy learns that presents aren't the most important part of this holiday. The pictures are small so it would make a better read aloud for an elementary child.

[BuggaBoo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gross. Lucy’s behavior is appalling. She’s mean to Sparkle, so greedy, and tantrums when she (wrongly) thinks sparkle didn’t get her anything. Moment of redemption at the end, but then it’s right back to mine, mine, mine