Invasion of the Unicorns

by David Biedrzycki

He's just a cute little unicorn who wants to take over the world.

Special Agent Bubble07 is undercover on planet Earth. His mission: to decide whether his team of alien unicorns should invade Earth. Posing as a stuffed animal, he infiltrates the home of Earthling Daughter, where he puts up with dog slobber, tea parties, and show and tell. Will the unicorn blow his cover and call for backup? Or will his alien heart be won over by storytime, snow days, and snuggles?

Genres: Picture Books, Unicorns, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor, Aliens, Science Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

In his early years David created stories for his parents and friends. A commercial artist since 1980, his work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, book covers, billboards and even ice cream boxes. The supermarket is like a gallery of his work.

Now he has now returned to his first love of picture book storytelling. He has illustrated close to 30 books including self-authored and award winning Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series, Me and My Dragon series and his newest series Breaking News Bear Alert, a Junior Library Guild Selection and winner of book the Illinois Monarch Picture Book Award and the Georgia State Picture Book Award. David travels the world extensively to over 100 schools a year sharing his digital book making process with aspiring young writers, illustrators and readers.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if that cute, adorable little stuffed unicorn you brought home from the video arcade is really a spy from outer space? In this colorful picture book, that is just what is happening. Secret Agent Bubble07 is undercover and sending updates about the Earthlings to his home planet. After 100 Days on Earth, will an invasion be imminent? Filled with humor and heart, this will be a read aloud parents and kids will both love.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the cutest unicorn book!

It definitely wasn’t what I expected in terms of the traditional unicorn books that I see throughout the library. It a had a fun twist that makes more engaging and adds a bit of humor. The illustrations that accompanied were also gorgeous and added to the warm, cuddly feelings readers will get from picking this one up.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god. Forget the cover. The contents inside! Was I watching an anime?

It's the sketches! They are so good and vivid. Artist, you are super awesome!

And the storyline. It's different and I don't think I would want to win another toy animal from a fair. Or maybe I want that to make such stories happen!

I love the alien vibes. I love how each of the character has been described so well. It's like a documentary done by your most favourite pets. Yes, like how your cat or your dog would describe you knowing you.

I love this adorable unicorn so much!

Can you visit me soon?

Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

[Mir]

This was super cute and cuddlesome.
I personally would have liked more actual invading, or at least some espionage antics, but I wasn't really expecting that. Open to recs, though!

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose I should preface this review by saying I love unicorns. Have loved them since I was an itty bitty girl. Something (at the time) about them having been left behind on the Ark because they were having too much fun appealed to me (thank you Irish Rovers).

Thus my love for this book might not be too surprising. That said, this is a clever little set-up where the ‘toy’ unicorn is actually a visiting alien!! The unicorn evaluates the planet in many ways; including if the unicorn aliens should invade!
I love the use of colour in Invasion of the Unicorns to show mood. Black and white pages are frustrating, sad, or angry moments for the unicorn; full colour pages are happy moments!

A perfect read for any age group! And I bet any animal loving kiddo will love the (destructive!) dog and his antics; if not the awesome alien unicorn!
I will confess to having already bought this for some little ones because I love it so much!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[David Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Short Version: A cute story about a unicorn spy fit for children of all ages. You’ll want to read it over and over again.

The Long Version: Invasion of the Unicorns is a wholly original concept. An alien unicorn has been sent to earth to decide whether or not the unicorns should invade Earth. He will spy on us discreetly and decide our fate! The book is easily accessible for children and has good humor for both kids and adults. The art work is adorable and elevates the story nicely. This reminds me of my favorite children’s books growing up like Corduroy. It’s simple yet elevated and it hits you right in the sweet spot.

Could not recommend higher!

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, genius, and really quite gorgeous, this will be hard to beat were I to give out awards for such things. When a happy dad gets a unicorn out of one of those arcade crane game thingies, to give to his happy daughter, neither of them is aware that the unicorn is a real, live unicorn, from a real live unicorn planet, and is actually sounding Earth out for invasion. In amongst finding some wonderful things he would like to take back home with him, he has to sort out whether we deserve being enslaved, which you have to admit is a little unlikely considering the size of him. There's not a beat wrong with this creation – it has a great pace, a really warm and sustained sense of delight and of humour, and the young audience it's intended for will still be able to cope with the ironies the story and our unicorn character bring up. It's such a charming and droll piece, and a pleasure to look at on every comic book-structured page. It's why I seldom give out five star reviews for fiction titles – there has to be a way for the real stand-outs to shine. This shines brighter than almost all.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invasion of the Unicorns was a very sweet and fun children's read. A single stuffed unicorn is "sent from the overlords" to see if Earth is a habitat worth taking over. The unicorn lives with a little girl and experiences all ranges of human activities and discovers how wonderful it is to be loved by a friend!
The illustrations are beautiful and this is one that I would recommend or buy for a friend's child.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super cute! The illustrations and use of color are wonderful. The humor in the story makes it suitable for kids a little older, like k-2 maybe? Parents will definitely enjoy it as well!

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:

This story was cute and funny! I loved that the unicorn was working undercover to figure out humans and possibly plan to invade Earth. I loved the formatting of the unicorn’s log book entries as well as the unicorn’s thoughts towards the various things it learned. I also loved the color scheme for the pictures! For the most part, the pictures were in black and white with some color coming off the unicorn, but it changed over to full color later on in the story.

Summary:

Special Agent Bubble07 is a unicorn on a mission. Sent to Earth by his alien unicorn society, he is to gather information on Earthlings and their habits so they can decide if they should invade the planet or not. Disguised as a stuffed animal, Special Agent Bubble07 is taken into the home of an Earthling girl and he discovers the odd things Earthlings and their pets do. But with their pet dog seeming to catch on to Agent Bubble07’s ruse and the various things he has to endure, will this unicorn have to leave his mission before it really starts?

[Bell Of The Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not really the most exciting children's book for me.
Very basic. But that can be a positive as it will be a hit with young readers/ listeners. And it's vocabulary is easy for them to follow, relate to, and understand.

What I did love about this picture book is the amazing illustrations!
The use of negative and positive space was a perfect balance, with color drawing the eyes to our unicorns "vibes/signals/ feelings/messages".
Its mostly black/white/gray.
It may not be but it has the feel of dot art, as of it was drawn out of dots only.

I also love how desirable our (alien) unicorn is!
I mean I want to hug him! So fluffy and chubby!
I feel like I would have had the same great bond with him as our little Earthling.

[gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best things I've read this year. I read it in my alien robot voice which I've refined to perfection over the last several years of reading alien stories to my son. This book deserves some sort of genre bending award for combining aliens and unicorns. My son loves aliens. I love unicorns. I *rarely* can sneak in a unicorn book, but with this book?? NO SNEAKING. We both gave it five stars and laughed a lot. My son's favorite part was the super poof version after the unicorn got washed and mine was the unicorn finding out he couldn't swim.

Freaking hilarious. Bravo Mr. Biedrzycki!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The unicorn Special Agent Bubble07 has been sent to Earth to see if the alien unicorns should invade Earth. Each day, Bubble07 sends a report to their fearless leader. Bubble07 goes camping and eats "Sa-morrs", goes to school, plays tricks on Earthling Dog, and hears bedtime stories. Bubble07 also nearly drowns and witnesses temper tantrums and kids fighting. Should the aliens come invade?

[Susan]

A wildly original story about a stuffed unicorn named Bubble07 that is actually an alien sent to spy on Earthlings for a possible invasion. In Bubble07's field notes, they share hilarious observations about Earthlings. Great illustrations and a clever concept!

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[M M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the book starts out black and white but ends in color as the unicorn starts to enjoy his life on earth 🥰

[Amber Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS CUTE AS HELL!!!!!

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did a great job of starting the story to finishing it. The illustrations wonderfully matched and showed extra detail along with the story. I would definitely recommend reading this if you’re looking for something quirky and exciting.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable.

I welcome our unicorn overlords.

[Kristen Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special Agent Bubble 07 is on a mission, gathering intel in order to invade earth!
Aliens that look like unicorns you say? That cannot be right – or can it?

Happy dancing, temper tantrums, family pet interference, super suds and extra poofy laundry settings, and a child’s never ending love – what more can one ask for!

“Invasion of the Unicorns” is a creative, imaginative, humorous, delightful tale that will not disappoint. Visually stunning, vivid sketches, phenomenal transitioning from black & white to color, leaving the reader with an unforgettable magical glitter trail.

I highly recommend “Invasion of the Unicorns” to children of all ages as this will undoubtedly be a beloved classic for generations of children to come.

P.S. I see you little (llama?)…. Wonder what you have in store for us in the future!

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for providing me an advance copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So adorable! The illustrations, for about half the book, are black-and-white except for the bubbles emanating from the unicorn. But as the unicorn begins loving his family and Earth more, the illustrations gain color.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I would have loved this as a kid. Boasting delightful, laugh-out-loud illustrations and a wacky storyline, UNICORNS is a lot a fun.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book by chance at the library, and grabbed it, loving unicorns. It did not disappoint! This was such an adorable little story!

Agent Bubble07, a unicorn from a far off world is a scout sent to see if Earth can be conquered, and humans made the unicorns servants. The book is written as reports he sends back to his fearless leader. These reports detail things like, how he found his way into a human family, through one of those animal grab machines. Strange human behaviors like washing things in a washing machine, and reading before tucking children in. Weather phenomenon like snow, there is none on his homeworld. His reports are equal parts baffling, humorous and endearing as he grows to understand, then love human behavior. At the end he advocates that the invasion be called off and all the unicorns sent to Earth for a vacation!

The illustrations are at time colorful, at times black and white with hints of color. In some cases the layout resembles a graphic novel, in others just a regular picture book. The variety adds to the story and makes it all the more enjoyable to read.

If you like unicorns, or just lovely stories, try this book!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an excellent book, although I wonder about the ending, which includes something of a cliff-hanger.
The idea that soft, fluffy unicorn toys are actually an insidious plot had honestly never occurred to me before, but it makes perfect sense. Spies acting as forerunners for an invasion would have to look innocent. In this case, though, it's not a disguise. They really do look that way. So the obvious question some kids would ask is "What's so bad if they do invade?"
At that point, parents, teachers, librarians and caregivers would have to fall back on the standard, obvious answer, which is "Because it is!"
I mean, even if they're cute, would you really want your children dominated by an alien race of soft, fluffy unicorns? No, maybe you shouldn't answer that, now that I think about it.
In any case, the artwork in this book is gorgeous, except perhaps for the dog, who is just too shaggy. I did like the dog's wonderful perceptive abilities, and the ongoing unicorn-vs-dog war. Who knew dryers even had that setting, anyway?

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, Very Cute.

An Alien from outer space is a spy infiltrating Earth. It's going to help an alien invasion. The alien looks like a toy unicorn. He sneaks into one of those grab machines with the claw and a lucky kid gets to take it home.

The story starts out in black and white at the beginning and as the unicorn continues to live on Earth, the pages become more and more colored. The girl takes the unicorn everywhere and it gets to experience hugs. By the end, everything is bursting with color and the unicorn suggests they don't invade, but migrate to Earth and get loved on.

Book 2 should be the story of one unicorn who goes to a kid who is terrible to toys and then they decide to take over the world. Just Kidding.

Artwork is watercolor, pencils and procreate. The drawing are cute and almost like a comic book at times. It has moments of like 'Toys'.

I think kids will enjoy this one. Told well.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"These earthlings are a kind and loving family. Their dog needs to learn to behave, but other than that, I really like it here."

Secret Agent Bubble07 comes to earth to observe humans. The mission: "decide if our unicorn army should invade this planet and make the Earthlings our humble servants." He ends up in a claw machine, which is his first obstacle. It takes 3 days before someone finally fishes him out and he goes home with a little girl. Now the reports to the unicorn leader begin. At first, Bubble07 just can't figure out the humans at all. Eating Sa-morrs, telling scary stories and then sleeping in tents? What's that about? Bubble07 experiences school, snow, peanut butter cookies and, perhaps best of all, bedtime stories.

As always, Biedrzycki's illustrations are gorgeous. I can't wait to read this one to my unicorn-obsessed first graders.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An alien invader has landed on Earth investigating the potential of Earth for an invasion and humans for subjugation as slaves, and it looks just like a fluffy unicorn toy.

An absolute delight. The artwork is amazing. The story is paced with perfect timing that balances the invasion threat with humor and moments of tenderness. And the family dog is the perfect foil for this invader. Pure genius, and I loved how he snuck SumoKitty into the illustrations. Definitely need to purchase this one for our Elementary library. Not only are unicorns insanely popular in Elementary right now, but this story and artwork are pretty hard to resist. Hmm, maybe the invasion was a success after all?

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through Edelweiss+.
Charming story about an advanced scout from a planet of unicorns who is assessing whether they should invade earth. Told as a log as the unicorn shares what it learns about the family it lives with. I love how the tone of these reports changes as it gets to know the humans and learns to love them. Biedrzycki captures the humor along with the underlying serious nature of this unicorn. The illustrations bring the story to life. Readers will study the details and learn so much beyond the text.