Author : Alma Flor Ada
Preschool - 2nd Grade

The Unicorn of the West

El unicornio del oeste, Softcover, Spanish, Book, Alma Flor Ada, Preschool - 2nd Grade, 9781416968443, $11.99
The Unicorn of the West, Hardcover, English, Book, Alma Flor Ada, Preschool - 2nd Grade, 9780689317781, $16.95   Watch
The Malachite Palace, Jordis Star, and The Unicorn of the West, English, CD, Alma Flor Ada, Preschool - 2nd Grade, $19.95   Listen

$160.80 for the Story Collection Green Books and CDs Spanish Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 11 Softcover Spanish Books, 2 Softcover Bilingual Book, 2 Spanish Storytelling CDs, and 1 Bilingual Storytelling CD

$218.59 for the Story Collection Green Books and CDs English Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 11 Hardcover English Books, 4 Softcover English Books, 3 Softcover Bilingual Book, 1 English Storytelling CD, and 1 Bilingual Storytelling CD

$57.91 for the Storytelling Books and CDs Spanish Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 2 Softcover Spanish Books, 2 Spanish CDs, and 1 Bilingual CD

$80.59 for the Storytelling Books and CDs English Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 3 Hardcover English Books, 1 Softcover English Book, 1 Bilingual CD, and 1 English CD

In this evocative tale of friendship and self-discovery, a young unicorn undertakes a magical journey in order to find his purpose. Excellent for discussing themes of identity and solidarity. The beautiful illustrations are by Abigail Pizer.

Author’s Note : This story was born out of the request of my great-nieces Virginia Marie, Lauren and Allison Roure De Miranda for a bedtime story. When I asked them what they wanted the story to be about they requested “unicorns”. So, inspired by their beauty and their trust on my storytelling abilities I began: “Each evening, as the sun set…” and the book was born. It has always been one my favorites, perhaps because of my love for the girls who inspired it, and their mother, my niece Virgilú.

Listen to Vienna Rose read The Unicorn of the West to you.  A marvelous example of the magical encounter between a child and books that we wish for all children.  And here's an earlier reading by Vienna Rose.

School Library Journal : Grade 1-3-A gentle story that can be effectively shared on many levels. A young unicorn who has never before met any other creatures of the forest tries to discover who he is. With each season, he meets a different animal: a spring robin, a summer butterfly, an autumn squirrel. But it's not until winter approaches that he hears a "melody"  that seems to beckon him to a place where he meets the Unicorns of the East, South, and North. They tell him that he is the Unicorn of the West and that every seven years on the solstice, the four meet to insure that each corner of the world will always know love and beautiful dreams. The unicorn returns home, content to know his identity and with the knowledge that he has true friends. In The Gold Coin (1991) and My Name Is Maria  Isabel, (1993, both Atheneum), Ada employed similar themes of self-discovery. Here, it is interwoven with the idea that both friendship on an individual level and peace on a universal level are important. The story is well told and folkloric in its approach as a pattern is developed and repeated with each encounter with a different animal. The watercolor illustrations are soft without being pale and portray an apt world for this original fable. 

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