Amy Krouse Rosenthal (1965–2017)

When a rainy day makes the Land of the Unicorns seem gray, Uni knows what to do, tapping a series of objects and creatures—an orange fox, the green grass, a blue bird, etc...—and revealing their vibrant colors. Her quick thinking saves the day, and restores her land to is usually bright rainbow...

Published in 2021, Uni Paints a Rainbow is the second board book to feature Uni, following upon the 2019 A Valentine for Uni the Unicorn. The character debuted in the eponymous picture book, Uni the Unicorn, from author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Brigette Barrager, before going on to star in an additional picture book from the pair, as well as a picture book from Rosenthal's daughter, Paris. She has also starred in a series of early readers that I have not yet tracked down. Published long after Rosenthal's death in 2017, this one is styled "an Amy Krouse Rosenthal book," with a text that was no doubt written by somebody at Random House, although (unlike the previous board book) the artwork appears to actually be done by Barrager. In any case, this is just a sweet board book about colors, set in Uni's unicorn world. I enjoyed it more than A Valentine for Uni the Unicorn, which did not impress me. Perhaps that's because the Valentine book featured a very awkward rhyming text, and wasn't actually illustrated by Barrager (the front read: "pictures based on art by Brigette Barrager"). However that may be, while there really isn't much to this one, it works fine as a baby's concept book about colors, while also providing some cute unicorn illustrations. I would recommend it to very young children (toddlers and younger) who love Uni, or just unicorns in general, and who appreciate bright illustrations.… (altro)

Uni, a magical unicorn who believes in little girls with all her heart, whose story began in author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Brigette Barrager's eponymous picture book, Uni the Unicorn, before continuing in two additional picture books, one by Rosenthal and one by her daughter, stars in this Valentine's Day board book. The rhyming text describes Uni's desire to grant the reader's wishes, from kisses to sweets, and closes with an invitation to be her valentine...

As someone who enjoyed the picture books about Uni, I picked up A Valentine for Uni the Unicorn with every expectation of pleasure. The first thing I noticed however, was the publication date in 2019. Given that Rosenthal sadly died of cancer in 2017, and that the cover here states that the pictures are "based on art by Brigette Barrager," I concluded that neither original creator was involved with this title. Of course, this isn't all that unusual with series devoted to popular children's book characters, but it is something to note. Unfortunately, while this fact alone wouldn't preclude enjoyment, and while I found the artwork cute, the narrative in this one just felt a little flat to me, with a text that felt more organized around its rhyming structure than geared toward communicating any story or sense of magic. Tastes vary of course, and younger children who love Uni, or just unicorns in general, might still find it enjoyable, so it is to them that I would recommend it.… (altro)