What's in Unicorn's Backpack?: A Lift-the-Flap Book

by Joan Holub, Alyssa Nassner (Illustrator)

See how unicorns pack for school in this adventurous, backpack-shaped board book with flaps little ones can lift!

Have you ever wondered what a unicorn packs in her backpack for school? What do her pencils and notebooks look like? What does she eat for lunch? What kind of toys does she bring for afterschool fun?

14 pages, Board Book

Published July 13, 2021

About the author

NY Times bestselling children's book author:
GODDESS GIRLS series + HEROES IN TRAINING series (w Suzanne Williams); THIS LITTLE TRAILBLAZER a Girl Power Primer; ZERO THE HERO; I AM THE SHARK. Lucky to be doing what I love!

Reviews

[Baby Bookworm]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our books today are both by Joan Holub: What in Dragon’s Backpack? (illustrated by Christopher Lee) and What’s in Unicorn’s Backpack? (illustrated by Alyssa Nassner), a back-to-school pair of lift-the-flap books for fans of fantastic creatures.

Each board book features 12 pages of lift-the-flaps for little ones to explore, accompanied by short rhyming couplets the describe the theme of each page (art class, reading, math, lunch, etc). Find out what books a dragon prefers, and what a unicorn eats for lunch.

This is a tricky one: Dragon’s Backpack was certainly a delight, offering clever lift-the-flaps like a readable book, solvable arithmetic problems, geometric art with simple shapes, and plenty of fun hints into the dragon’s personality (including both traditionally-masculine and -feminine items). It was such a treat, in fact, that it made Unicorn’s Backpack pale in comparison. While dragon’s backpack featured a well-rounded mix of the educational and personal, unicorn’s highly feminized backpack is comprised of far fewer academic items, and far more items centered around personal care and aesthetics. Dragon has flash cards, books, toys, videos games, pictures of their family, puzzles, art projects; Unicorn has stickers, glitter, bubbles, doodle pads, and multiple lipglosses. This effect leaves an odd comparison between the two books; Dragon presents a well-rounded student with multiple interests, Unicorn presents as… not that. Even JJ favored Dragon, with more variety in the lift-the-flap surprises and illustrations. So while we would probably skip the mostly shallow Unicorn’s Backpack, we can definitely recommend Dragon’s Backpack as a fun way to get little bookworms excited for school. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Heidi]

For young unicorn lovers who enjoy lift-the-flap books, this one will have lots of appeal. Each two-page spread has two couplets describing some of the items in the backpack. The accompanying illustrations show those items plus others. Each page has at least two flaps to lift. Items included relate to arts & crafts, science, lunch, recess, and personal activities. The illustrations are cute and the glittery cover is bound to appeal to young readers.

[Elizabeth]

Definitely little girl oriented. Fun idea. Dragon's backpack is better. Still a cute book.