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Sugarlump and the UnicornJulia Donaldson
Sugarlump and the Unicorn
by Julia Donaldson
A rocking horse wishes to be something else, and a unicorn grants each wish, until he wishes himself back into the nursery.
A story about animals and magical creatures, gentle and rhyming in tone. We would put it with children of 3–6, and at a reading age of about 5 for reading alone.
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Our take on this book
Sugarlump is a wooden rocking horse who wishes he could see the world, so a magical unicorn grants his wish and turns him into a real horse, a carousel horse and a racehorse in turn — until Sugarlump learns where he truly belongs. Julia Donaldson brings her trademark bouncing rhyme and a gentle be-careful-what-you-wish-for message, illustrated in Lydia Monks's sparkly, glittery style that small children love to touch. The story carries a soft lesson about appreciating what you have, wrapped inside the pleasure of the verse and the magic of the unicorn. There is nothing frightening; the tone is warm and reassuring throughout. For a three- to six-year-old it is a lovely, tender read-aloud — the rhythm invites joining in, the glitter delights small hands, and the quiet message about home and belonging lands gently through the story. A charming, lesser-known Donaldson that rewards families who go looking beyond the very famous titles.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Monkey PuzzleJulia Donaldson
Sharing a ShellJulia Donaldson
Stick ManJulia Donaldson
SuperwormJulia Donaldson
The GruffaloJulia Donaldson
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
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