Illustrator: Hatem Aly
Series: The Unicorn Rescue Society #1
Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers on April 10, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Pages: 176
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Elliot Eisner isn't exactly excited about starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new town; he'd much rather stay at home and read a book. But things take an unexpected turn when he finds out his weird new teacher, Professor Fauna, has planned a field trip for Elliot's very first day. Along with a new friend--brave, outspoken Uchenna Devereaux--Elliot gets caught up in a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world's mythical creatures. Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers.
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Have you ever read a book and asked yourself how your life would be different if you had one of these mythological creatures around the house?
That thought crossed my mind countless times while reading as a child.
What type of mythological creature
would I would want as a pet?
I would want a pegasus for a pet.
(Well, animal friend. I doubt I could tame a mythological creature!
It has also been one of my long-time dreams to talk to animals and befriend them.)
Truth be told, I don’t like heights. I would be frightened to ride on a flying horse high high high up in the air. But I think that if I rode often enough it would help me take control of my fear of heights. Plus, I’d be able to avoid traffic and make better time while riding on a mythological flying horse!
7 Reasons to Read The Unicorn Rescue Society
- Elliot is a a reader and a reluctant hero. Because of his readings, he’s a treasure trove of facts, and I always appreciate a protagonist who loves to read. More importantly, he’s scared, but he faces his fears to do the right thing.
- The female protagonist Uchenna is bold and brave. I love the dynamics between her and Elliot as she drags him into one adventure after another.
- This series promises to take readers around the world to learn about different cultures and their mythological creatures. In The Basque Dragon, I enjoyed learning about the Basque Country while our heroes were there—courtesy of our resident encyclopedia Elliot.
- This series promises to be a magical adventure. The books have episodic feel while continuing to build a plot that’s been brewing since book one. I can see this series growing to be as big as The Boxcar Children, Goosebumps, and Animorphs should the authors keep writing books.
- I can see it being adapted as a T.V. show, which would be fun to watch!
- The pages are filled with many fun illustrations that bring the story to life.
- There is a cute mythological creature mascot character who is adorable 🙂
Note: You will need to suspend disbelief when reading these books. Crazy things happen like planes in teacher parking lots and children flying across the ocean to save magical creatures (with teacher supervision but not parent permission). If you can do this, The Unicorn Rescue Society is a fun, exciting adventure. One that I would totally gift to a young reader. Little me would have loved to read this series!
About the Illustrator
Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work has been featured on television and in multiple publications worldwide. He currently lives in New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. Find him online at metahatem.com or @metahatem.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight says
A pegasus would make an amazing pet! And I don’t have a fear of heights, so that wouldn’t even be an issue XD This sounds like a cute series!
Crystal says
Not having a fear of heights would be advantageous with a Pegasus friend. Yes, this is an adorable series!
CG @ Paper Fury says
This sounds totally adorable!! I was always interested with magical creatures when I was little too! I loved all the ones in Narnia. 😍
Crystal says
I loved the Narnia books as a kid! I remember my grandparents bought me the box set from a Scholastic book catalogue.
Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer says
These sound cute, and every child wants a magical pet or Borrower in their pocket 🙂
Crystal says
It’s a fun read. I agree children want a magical pet or friend they can bring wherever they go 🙂