Three brothers set out to hunt the unicorn in this original fairy-tale from German children's author Otfried Preußler and expatriate Russian illustrator Gennady Spirin. As his elder brothers find better purposes—one gets married and settles down, the other finds his fortune and sets himself up in a grand style—Hans, who never really wanted to hunt the unicorn in the first place, carries on the pursuit. When he finally does find the creature however, such is its astounding beauty that he cannot kill it, standing lost in wonder, and lost to time. When he finally does return to the human world, his hair is gray, and he is an old man, sharing the story of his encounter with this marvelous creature.

Originally published in German as Das Märchen vom Einhorn, this gorgeous picture book pairs a simple but immensely engaging narrative with breathtakingly beautiful artwork. I suspect that some readers might find the conclusion here rather anticlimactic, after all of Hans' journeying, but I thought there was a certain power to its simplicity. Preußler doesn't waste any words, and his description of the unicorn's beauty is minimal—one experiences it through Hans' awe, and through the gorgeous artwork. Somehow, this felt right to me, as moments of epiphany come unexpectedly through sensation, and are rarely ushered in (in my experience) with long speeches. I have read many books illustrated by Spirin at this point, and always find his work beautiful, but I think he outdid himself here. These Renaissance-style paintings are worth seeking out for their own sake, but when paired with a thought-provoking fairy-tale about wonder, about refraining from destroying that wonder, then all the better! Recommended to young unicorn fans, and to anyone who appreciates beautiful picture book art. ( )

Three brother are on a mission to hunt a unicorn and become rich from harvesting it's horn and hooves. There is a skinny brother, a fat brother, and Hans. Hans's other two brothers where then satisfied with their lives and no longer endeavored to hunt the unicorn. All that was left was Hans, so he continued to search. Eventually, he did find the unicorn but was so overwhelmed with it's majestic beauty, and he could not pull the trigger and shoot the unicorn.

This story displaced the value placed on morality in certain situations. Hans was truly satisfied, like his brothers, just by experiencing the unicorns presence, and therefore no longer felt the need to kill it. This book also displays a unique style of art that truly represents the essence of old century germany, which is ideal for teaching a class about different styles of art. ( )

In my opinion, this is a timeless classical work of art. I find that it should be recommended for young children who are just learning about folktales and fairytales because of it's length and the moral that hides behind it of abandoning selfish desires and motivations to do the right, noble and good thing in life. The traditional motif of three comes up in this folktale as well--three brothers, Hans eating the apple, stoping at the well, drinking water, walking through fire, wind, and ice. ( )

Intermediate
This is a good example of a folktale. It has the feel of being built upon a story that has existed for a very long time. It seems very additive. It also tells of the value of beauty rather than just money.
Media: acrylics ( )

Three brothers decide they will hunt the unicorn so they can be rich. The fat brother leaves the hunt when he finds a good cook to marry. The skinny brother later finds gold and decides to settle down in a town. The youngest brother continues on alone, finds the unicorn and instead of killing it gazes at it for years and then returns home. ( )