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Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns #1
Magic Smells Awful
Xander Stone didn't believe in unicorns -- until one puked on him! In this adventure, twelve-year-old Xander first meets the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns -- stinky, zombielike, upchucking creatures from the magical world of Pegasia. They've been banished to Earth for, well, being stinky, zombielike, upchucking creatures. However, Earth presents them with a great HUMANS. Luckily, the dashing, naively heroic Xander vows to protect them and their disgusting secret at all costs.
125 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2018
26 people want to read
About the author
Matthew K. Manning
229 books40 followersMatthew K. Manning is the author of over eighty books and dozens of comic books. He has written books for Scholastic, Disney Press, Abrams, Amazon, Capstone, DK Publishing, Insight Editions, Andrews/McMeel, and Running Press, dividing his time between writing original chapter book series and coffee table books. His chapter books include the six-book series Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns (Capstone), the four-book Drone Academy series (Capstone), Backstories: Batman and Backstories: Batgirl (Scholastic), and Artemis Fowl: How to be a LEPrecon (Disney Press), released in both paperback and on Audible. Many of his books have reached best-seller status on Amazon, including DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman, DC Comics Encyclopedia, and Batman: A Visual History. In addition, Manning specializes in comic books, writing for the titles Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!, The Batman Strikes!, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, Justice League Adventures, Scooby-Doo, and Looney Tunes for DC Comics, Marvel Action: Avengers for IDW/Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Amazing Adventures and TMNT: New Animated Adventures for IDW, and the top-selling Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures for DC/IDW, nominated by the Diamond Gem Awards for comic of the year. Manning’s work has received acclaim in Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and The Washington Times. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Dorothy and his daughters Lillian and Gwendolyn.
Buy his books and support independent booksellers on Bookshop at https://bookshop.org/shop/matthewkman...
Buy his books and support independent booksellers on Bookshop at https://bookshop.org/shop/matthewkman...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 9, 2020
From the ‘Why I Call Myself an Alleged Adult’ Files: When asked what I wanted for my birthday last year I requested a series of kid’s books about zombie unicorns that vomit rainbows. I’ve been holding off on bingeing them until now because …
🦄 9 April is Unicorn Day! 🦄
It’s been two years since I first discovered Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns and I’d forgotten how much fun they are to read about. This book is a great way to escape from reality for a while.
We’re introduced to Xander, a 12 year old outcast who still believes in magic, and three unicorns who have been banished from Pegasia, their home. Cradie, Blep and Ronk used to be ordinary, everyday unicorns but something happened on Pegasia that transformed them into smelly, rainbow-vomiting, zombie-like creatures.
Following the story is a glossary, a list of barf words and jokes. This book’s character spotlight shines a light on Ronk - exposed spine, melting skin, hairy ooze and everything else that makes this unicorn unique.
I’m ready to find it out what happens next!
Original Review 6 April 2018 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Do you believe in magic?
Xander does. He’s been a magic hunter for most of his life. When he was younger his friend Kelly would go on magic hunts with him but no longer does. On the very day that he decides to give up on magic it blasts across the sky in all of its technicolor glory. He doesn’t see fairies, gnomes or a spirit.
Instead he witnesses three rainbows, but there’s no pot of gold at the end of these rainbows. What Xander discovers are three unicorns! But not just your garden variety type. These are zombie unicorns 🧟♀️🧟♂️🦄 and they barf rainbows 🤢🤮🌈🌈🌈!
Matthew K. Manning has written one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year. The writing engages the reader from the beginning with this amazing and absurd story (I say that with the utmost respect) that is so imaginative and funny. I wanted these rainbow-barfing unicorns to be real. I wanted to go watch them vomit rainbows into the sky for myself. I wanted to visit Pegasia to witness for myself this magical dimension.
Joey Ellis’ illustrations capture the comedy in this book perfectly! My favourite illustration today is of Xander bathed in a rainbow yet pretending he can’t see anything out of the ordinary. It accurately depicts the humour of a kid obviously caught in a lie, denying it regardless and refusing to make eye contact. I expect my favourite illustration will change each time I open the book though.
I spent the whole book thinking this would make an incredible series and I dreaded nearing the end because I needed more! More unicorns! More vomit! More fun! Then I made it to the very end and lo and behold, what do I see on the back cover? The covers for the next three books in the series! Yippee!!! They look like as much fun as this one and I can’t wait!
I will be buying this book as soon as it’s released (for myself) so I can reread it to my heart’s content and have already recommended it to my favourite librarian for an avid young reader who consistently checks out the same kid’s books I do. I need to read the rest of the series urgently!
Food I craved while reading this book: apple donuts, cotton candy and blueberry strudel.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for introducing me to this new favourite.
🦄 9 April is Unicorn Day! 🦄
It’s been two years since I first discovered Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns and I’d forgotten how much fun they are to read about. This book is a great way to escape from reality for a while.
We’re introduced to Xander, a 12 year old outcast who still believes in magic, and three unicorns who have been banished from Pegasia, their home. Cradie, Blep and Ronk used to be ordinary, everyday unicorns but something happened on Pegasia that transformed them into smelly, rainbow-vomiting, zombie-like creatures.
“The thing is, we were normal unicorns, but then we got a space virus, and we had to walk through the Banish Desert, which is nowhere near as much fun as the Danish Dessert - but that’s another story entirely - and then we dropped through the Western Portal and ended up on this mountain and Ronk can’t stop vomiting rainbows and neither can we, if I’m being honest, and -“During my second read I wondered how the unicorns were able to speak the same language as Xander. I also noticed the illustrations, which I love, don’t always line up with the descriptions in the text. For example, Ronk is supposed to have two yellow eyes, not one yellow and one white, and Cradie’s hooves are supposed to be greenish, not purple.
Following the story is a glossary, a list of barf words and jokes. This book’s character spotlight shines a light on Ronk - exposed spine, melting skin, hairy ooze and everything else that makes this unicorn unique.
I’m ready to find it out what happens next!
Original Review 6 April 2018 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Do you believe in magic?
Xander does. He’s been a magic hunter for most of his life. When he was younger his friend Kelly would go on magic hunts with him but no longer does. On the very day that he decides to give up on magic it blasts across the sky in all of its technicolor glory. He doesn’t see fairies, gnomes or a spirit.
Instead he witnesses three rainbows, but there’s no pot of gold at the end of these rainbows. What Xander discovers are three unicorns! But not just your garden variety type. These are zombie unicorns 🧟♀️🧟♂️🦄 and they barf rainbows 🤢🤮🌈🌈🌈!
”RONK!”Being zombies they also smell terrible and tend to be accompanied by flies. The unicorns have heard about human adults who no longer believe in magic and will experiment on them if discovered. Xander knows it’s up to him to protect these rainbow vomiters from harm, but how?
Matthew K. Manning has written one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year. The writing engages the reader from the beginning with this amazing and absurd story (I say that with the utmost respect) that is so imaginative and funny. I wanted these rainbow-barfing unicorns to be real. I wanted to go watch them vomit rainbows into the sky for myself. I wanted to visit Pegasia to witness for myself this magical dimension.
Joey Ellis’ illustrations capture the comedy in this book perfectly! My favourite illustration today is of Xander bathed in a rainbow yet pretending he can’t see anything out of the ordinary. It accurately depicts the humour of a kid obviously caught in a lie, denying it regardless and refusing to make eye contact. I expect my favourite illustration will change each time I open the book though.
I spent the whole book thinking this would make an incredible series and I dreaded nearing the end because I needed more! More unicorns! More vomit! More fun! Then I made it to the very end and lo and behold, what do I see on the back cover? The covers for the next three books in the series! Yippee!!! They look like as much fun as this one and I can’t wait!
I will be buying this book as soon as it’s released (for myself) so I can reread it to my heart’s content and have already recommended it to my favourite librarian for an avid young reader who consistently checks out the same kid’s books I do. I need to read the rest of the series urgently!
Food I craved while reading this book: apple donuts, cotton candy and blueberry strudel.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for introducing me to this new favourite.
December 18, 2018
I love the illustrations, love the concept. But things didn't match up as well as they could have and there are some questions I'm wondering.
November 5, 2018
Had to read for work. 2.5 stars. This book might appeal to the younger crowd, but I found it to be not well-written. I know it's hard to write a book suitable for young, elementary-aged children that (even somewhat) applies the "show, don't tell" strategy of writing, but it can be done. Unfortunately, this book did not follow that technique.
December 9, 2018
There were multiple funny moments. But a lot of the sentences could have been condensed. Some paragraphs could have been taken out completely. The overall plot was a bit weak despite the interesting (yet terrifying) premise.
January 13, 2025
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Came for zombie unicorn hilarity, left very disappointed.
Not particularly well-written in my opinion. The events were pretty boring and the plot is meandering. This is the first book so maybe the adventures get more interesting after the initial setup, but nothing much really happened. There are garbage-eating zombie unicorns from another dimension barfing rainbows; I feel like something should be happening.
The illustrations, on the other hand (or hoof), were fantastic! The character designs are so gross and fun. Nice humor and oddity. Unfortunately, it's clear the author and illustrator worked separately on this and often the artwork does not match what is presented in the text. I wish the story followed the version in the artwork, because it is so cool.
I feel like the whole rainbow-barfing aspect was a ripoff. The cover and artwork throughout are hilarious, rainbow liquid spewing from the unicorns' mouths. In actuality, the text describes it as a rainbow light that comes out of their mouths, making them glorified flashlights.
There's also really weird commentary throughout that is awkward and unneeded. Like asserting that a gray-haired woman's hair in a ponytail is "a style that looked much too young for her" (p. 102). Ponytails are definitely just a basic hairstyle that it's totally normal for people of any age to wear. Or the judgmental page-long examination of Xander's eating habits and weight because he is out of breath after running all the way home. It's totally normal to be out of breath after running without the assertion that "All the lettuce in the world didn't seem to help with that" (p 28). Eating lettuce is definitely not going to make you a better runner, cardio and running is. The kid ran all the way home without stopping. Seems like he's doing just fine.
Includes a character spotlight of the zombie-unicorn Ronk, a glossary of terms used, synonyms for barf (which I wish had been used in the actual book), and basic jokes about unicorns and horses.
Despite the excellent premise, I did not like this one. It's definitely meant to be a spoof on the My Little Pony universe and has such a fun idea, but the writing was not executed well.
Fine for kids looking for a kind of gross, simple story about rainbow unicorns, but I didn't find it particularly entertaining.
Came for zombie unicorn hilarity, left very disappointed.
Not particularly well-written in my opinion. The events were pretty boring and the plot is meandering. This is the first book so maybe the adventures get more interesting after the initial setup, but nothing much really happened. There are garbage-eating zombie unicorns from another dimension barfing rainbows; I feel like something should be happening.
The illustrations, on the other hand (or hoof), were fantastic! The character designs are so gross and fun. Nice humor and oddity. Unfortunately, it's clear the author and illustrator worked separately on this and often the artwork does not match what is presented in the text. I wish the story followed the version in the artwork, because it is so cool.
I feel like the whole rainbow-barfing aspect was a ripoff. The cover and artwork throughout are hilarious, rainbow liquid spewing from the unicorns' mouths. In actuality, the text describes it as a rainbow light that comes out of their mouths, making them glorified flashlights.
There's also really weird commentary throughout that is awkward and unneeded. Like asserting that a gray-haired woman's hair in a ponytail is "a style that looked much too young for her" (p. 102). Ponytails are definitely just a basic hairstyle that it's totally normal for people of any age to wear. Or the judgmental page-long examination of Xander's eating habits and weight because he is out of breath after running all the way home. It's totally normal to be out of breath after running without the assertion that "All the lettuce in the world didn't seem to help with that" (p 28). Eating lettuce is definitely not going to make you a better runner, cardio and running is. The kid ran all the way home without stopping. Seems like he's doing just fine.
Includes a character spotlight of the zombie-unicorn Ronk, a glossary of terms used, synonyms for barf (which I wish had been used in the actual book), and basic jokes about unicorns and horses.
Despite the excellent premise, I did not like this one. It's definitely meant to be a spoof on the My Little Pony universe and has such a fun idea, but the writing was not executed well.
Fine for kids looking for a kind of gross, simple story about rainbow unicorns, but I didn't find it particularly entertaining.
November 30, 2018
I think I might be so amused by the premise of this book (kid finds zombie unicorns that barf rainbows) that I liked it on principle. Did I enjoy reading it? I don't know! The unicorns are zombies and they barf rainbows! Nothing else matters!
November 1, 2018
This is silly and gross and I liked it.
October 16, 2020
I actually thought this was hilarious, but there are a couple of typos and the pictures don’t always match the text, so it loses a star.
December 21, 2024
Så himla knasig och underhållande. Höjdpunkten med den här boken var dock att läsa några kapitel högt på bokklubben på jobbet och höra 9-11 åringarnas fnitter!
May 14, 2018
This was just a lot of fun. It’s a new beginning chapters series about Xander and the magic he discovered behind his house. In particular zombie unicorns that barf rainbows. While a fantastical story, it has a lot of heart and a main character that many kids could see themselves in. Weather it from growing up and losing the magic of magic, or just being picked on at school. Kids will be rooting for Xander and drying to find ways to barf rainbows.
May 16, 2018
This was a hilarious and interesting read. I don't believe I've ever read about zombie unicorns. So this was something new and fun.
Kids will be laughing out loud and curious to see what happens next. The title alone makes you wonder about the contents of the book. I mean, could you imagine waking up one day and finding your average pretty and sparkly unicorns are actually smelly and awful!
Not to mention, this book touches on serious topics such as anxiety and bullying. Making it relatable to a lot of children.
Anyway, I wholeheartedly recommend getting this book!
Kids will be laughing out loud and curious to see what happens next. The title alone makes you wonder about the contents of the book. I mean, could you imagine waking up one day and finding your average pretty and sparkly unicorns are actually smelly and awful!
Not to mention, this book touches on serious topics such as anxiety and bullying. Making it relatable to a lot of children.
Anyway, I wholeheartedly recommend getting this book!
Want to read
June 22, 2018Note: I received a digital review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 27, 2018
As a lover of unicorns I simple adored this title little ones would definitely love it 5/5 stars awesome book
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews