Moray Council, the Tory-run local authority which is holding the event at Elgin Library, has stood by the performer. On Tuesday, it rebuffed the Scots Conservative leader, saying: “We appreciate and accept that everyone has differing views on drag queens but believe our fun, lively and joyous celebration of reading and self-expression is a suitable way to encourage confidence in our young readers.” The last thing to fall into place was the title and the cover, which had multiple alternatives. Thankfully the team at Happy Yak hit upon the wanted poster theme, which was a brilliant idea. Cave drawings of unicorns have been found all over the world, from France to South Africa and South America. Unicorns get about.

Blunt keeps telling them that this is a book that does not have a unicorn. But the unicorn and pug will not be stopped. They will do anything it takes to be in the book. Well, almost anything. Among all the chaos and humour is a message of standing up and being counted - make no apologies for who you are and be proud. The story didn’t change much from sketchbook thumbnails, to first draft and onto book form. I did have a great editorial team at Happy Yak though - Sarah Chapman and Emily Pither - they helped smooth the edges and make it into something a little more cinematic. My initial draft existed in an abstract world, where unicorns stood on rainbows with little sense of environment. Sarah and Emily steered it into a much more Wild West themed space, which I’m really pleased about. Unicorns *Not* Wanted offers a fun response to the current cultural obsession with unicorns. I really enjoyed the playful art style and the silliness of how the unicorn and pug disguised themselves in an effort to try to be included in the book. I really love Unicorn NOT Wanted. I think it’s charming and heart-warming with lots of bright, cheerful colors and funny lines. I think kids will engage with this story and want to hear it over and over.Appreciation is extended to the author, to Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have voluntarily shared are my own. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. Julius Caesar said he saw one in a forest in Germany during his conquest of Gaul, and Marco Polo said he saw one too, but that one turned out to be a rhinoceros. Disappointing.

My Review: Unicorn NOT Wanted by Fred Blunt was 50% cuteness and 50% comedy magic. From the cover to the content, I was entirely enchanted.

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From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada: Children's books are saturated by unicorn right now! It' ok though - this book is absolutely 100% not about unicorns. Unicorns aren't allowed, or pugs! The author has made sure by setting the story in The Wild West. No unicorns (or pugs) live in The Wild West do they?! Well you'd think not but there's a dynamic duo waiting to scupper the authors plans. Unicorn and pug are desperate to be in the story and they do their very best to disguise themselves. However, the author isn't fooled and tries to remove the pair from the story. If you are a liar, it is said a unicorn will pierce you through the heart with its horn, which is blunter than it looks, so this would not be a particularly fun way to go.

The added bonus with this super fun read was...the word play and the use of exclamatory statements! It made the story that much more entertaining. John Naples-Campbell, the educator who performs as Miss Lossie Mouth, also released a statement on Thursday calling for Ross to be held accountable for “his words and the hate that has been directed towards me and [the LGBT+] community”. Powdered unicorn horn' was sold in pharmacies in London until 1741 as an elixir for aches, pains and ailments. Until someone worked out it was actually narwhal horn. No unicorns were harmed in the making of this elixir. Phew. My Final Say: Kids will adore this book. Families will have a great time together as they read through this work. Librarians will rush to add this title to their story time hour. Lovers of kid lit will totally appreciate the ADVENTURE, DRAMA, ACTION, and...COWBOYS! (See what I did there? 😁) I had a great time making this book with Happy Yak and can’t wait to start my next author book with them very soon.Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Happy Yak, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This is an anti-unicorn, unicorn story, which pokes fun at the never-ending stream of unicorn books, but then becomes what it sets out not to be... thanks to a unicorn intruder! However, while I realize that this book isn’t *supposed* to be taken too seriously, I do not think that the inclusion of the unicorn throwing a temper tantrum which then results in the author caving in to her demand to be included in the book is a wise decision. Every children’s book is learning opportunity for our young readers, and presenting this behavior as an effective choice seems irresponsible. Initially I had hoped to go really bold with this book and maybe draw in brush and ink, but as the book developed and scenes became more fleshed out, I needed to accommodate more detail, so I settled on a brightly coloured, reduced line style, which is a mixture of scanned line and textures with digital colour. I’m really pleased with how silly and bright it turned out and I particularly love the neon pinks on the cover.

Genghis Khan said he decided not to invade India because he met a unicorn that knelt down in front of him and then looked at him with slightly scary human eyes. He felt this was a clear warning sign sent from his dead father to get out and told his army to retreat. If this ever happens to you, go home - wherever you happen to be. Elizabeth I was given a unicorn horn by the explorer Martin Frobisher, which he had found washed up on the shore in Northern Canada and later became part of the Crown Jewels and known as the Horn of Windsor. Some people now think it was a narwhal tusk again, but some people are stupid. I’m joking, of course, but it’s certainly a continuing trend that shows no signs of slowing down and that’s why I decided to write a book set in the wild west, where you definitely won’t find any unicorns… or will you?Author/Illustrator Fred Blunt wants to write a simple book set in the Wild West. He wants to write about cowboys and a sheriff and maybe a deputy. He wants horses and cacti.