Neil Reed

A young girl named Millie, accompanied by her father and her pet dog Casper, goes on her daily trip to the local park, where she likes to visit a statue of a unicorn. Embracing this beloved figure, Millie (together with Casper) is swept up in a magical adventure, riding the unicorn through an enchanting night, seeing the mountains, the desert and the ocean, and visiting an island of unicorns, before returning to her father. He thinks her adventure was a dream, but Millie knows better...

The Midnight Unicorn is a lovely picture-book, featuring story and illustrations from British author/artist Neil Reed, and pairing an engaging story-line and beautiful artwork. Millie's experiences are of that ambiguous kind - it could be a dream, it could be an imaginative game, or it could be a real-life experience - so common in childhood literature. Perhaps this reflects the way in which the young naturally inhabit a liminal borderland between youth and age, reality and fantasy. Whatever the case may be, the result here was charming. Recommended to young unicorn lovers, and to anyone seeking picture-books featuring magical journeys.… (altro)