The Princess and the Unicorn

by Carol Hughes

Noble, with hooves and horn of gold, the unicorn is the embodiment of magic. When Princess Eleanor of England catches sight of him in Swinley Forest, she can’t resist taking him back with her to Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, once the unicorn leaves the forest, both he and the forest begin to sicken. As the only witness to the unicorn’s departure, Joyce, an intrepid and curious young fairy, sets out for London on a grand adventure to rescue the unicorn—and maybe help the princess while she’s at it.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Unicorns, Childrens, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Carol Hughes grew up in England, in a seaside town where her parents kept a small hotel. When she got older, she went to art school to study painting. Not long afterward, she moved to the United States and began writing. She now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Kelsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skimmed my shelves of books, looking for my next read. Then, my eyes settled on a familiar pink paperback spine, and I reached out to it and picked it up gently. The cover was worn, the pages soft and tan from age. But it still held its luster.

"Hello, old friend," I said.

Many years ago, I first read this book. This book, in a way, helped kindle my love of reading. I didn't read much back then, just a drama series about riding. But when I started to read this book, I couldn't stop. This was the first book with an amazing adventure in it, and so many other things. I'd never read anything like The Princess and the Unicorn before. It was completely new and wonderful to me.

Years later, I picked this book up again and read it. Now that I read more....complex books....I was expecting this book to lose some of its magic.

And what did I find? A book that still took hold of me, and wouldn't let go. A book that was magical and charming, and oh-so-familiar. It was like visiting my childhood home. This meant so much to me when I was little, and it still does!

Sure, it could get a little cheesy at times, but that meant nothing to me. I was giggling like a little girl when Eleanor met the unicorn! Or when Joyce started her journey to save the unicorn and Swinley Forest! There were many times when I'd fondly say "I remember that", and other times where I'd wonder how I could ever forget a part. This book, honestly, means a lot to me.

This book isn't for everyone. Sure, it sounds childish. And it is. But really, when I read this book, I feel like a kid again.

Thank you, Carol Hughes, for writing this book. It is truly special to me and very close to my heart.

Unicorns and fairies are real and everyone knows it!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was perfect. :) I wish this book had been out when I was a kid. It would have graced my favorites shelf. As an adult, I still adored it. It was a lovely fairy tale, with a perfect pink cover and a beautiful blonde princess. Joyce was a great fairy and the fairies really added an extra dimension to the take. This book is the pinnacle of what children's literature should be. Loved it!!! :)

[Gigi N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I read this. I know that to many this book may seem to be a "little kid book" but I picked it up on a whim and enjoyed the read. It was a relaxing book, rather reminiscent of Tinkerbell to me, and enjoyed the respite from all the usual teen drama books. I recommend it if you're stressing out or just want a cute book to spend a few hours with!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story, with excitement, fairies and a sweet princess. But I disliked the modern setting the author gave it. It was all cell phones and cars and the villain sometimes spoke in silly rhymes to the princess.

So it lacked some of the enchantment a middle ages setting would have given it.

[Cali Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really good so far I like it because I really like princess's

[Cali Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's so good I just want to read it every second because after I put it down I just want to pick it back up again

[Sour of Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost forgot about this book! *almost*. This was another one of my first reads and believe me when I say that book was w e l l loved (as if the creased cover, bent pages, worn binding, spaghetti stains, and grubby fingerprints wouldn't tell you more than enough)-
Although I haven't read this in years, I would without a doubt still pick this up today. It's whole aura never fails to bring me a sense of childlike wonder and a huge wave of nostalgia. It brings me back to holding it up in the back of my mom's car so the street lights could illuminate the pages long enough for me to read the next line, asking my mom to tuck me in upside-down on my bed so that I could read by my window and pretend the deer peeking out from the forest late at night were some mystical creatures, and borrowing evolution books (kids edition of course) from the school library to figure out if unicorns were real or not (the jury's still out on that one).
If you've made it this far, I applaud you.
Thanks for sticking around this long,
Happy reading! :)

[Katie V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally love this book! It is a daring, adventurous story about how one little fairy and/or person really can make all the difference! This book is all about girls/fairies do what they know to be right, and not caring what others think about it, which is really something that I think we all (even myself) need some more of in this crazy world. This book also gives us an example of just going with our gut feelings and our first impressions. We know, deep down inside, what is right, no matter what others try to tell us! All in all, this is a wonderfully put-together story that will most definitely stand the test of time and continue to inspire and encourage readers of all ages, everywhere!

[Delina]

I thought this book was more than great because in the story it shows what the characters are thinking. I felt the same way as Joyce and the princess when the Unicorn was brought to the palace. If I was a fairy and my Forest Unicorn was taken away I would feel scared and I would try to save the forest. If I was the princess I would feel sad to see the Unicorn feeling so sick and I would do everything to try to help the Unicorn, forest of fairies, and Joyce. I would also be extra mean to Merrie after what she did and I would send her to prison and she would never enter the palace again. I would put Merrie Camere all around my property so that when the camera sees Merrie it would put laser stuff around her and palace gaurds will come and take her awy.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Young fairy, Joyce, is happy when she sees the unicorn of the forest, but she's not happy for long. Princess Eleanor takes the unicorn away, not knowing how her actions will affect the unicorn and the forest.

Now Joyce must set out on a journey to bring the unicorn back to the forest and save her way of life. But it's not an easy task and Joyce is met with many obstacles along the way.

Princess Eleanor meant no harm and is trying to overcome obstacles of her own. Can she help put things right?

Hughes creates a wonderful tale of growth and discovery in THE PRINCESS AND THE UNICORN. This is a fun and enjoyable read.

[The Winter Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's really more a 3.5 for me. There was nothing particularly outstanding about it, but I am a lover of all things princess,unicorns, faeries and pink, so it was rather ideal for me. It certainly wasn't the best book I have ever read, but it was enjoyable. The characters are a bit cliche and the storyline is predictable. The writing works, it flows, but nothing trancendant. While it may be a bit forgettable, there is still something very charming about the story. It's a straight up classic modern day fairy tale. Perfect for young girls. It's definately not for everyone though.

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book feels like it was written about a 10 year old, for 10 year olds, by a 10 year old. I may being overly critical when I stop and consider the novel is intended for younger readers, but I also don't feel that's much of an excuse.

The author is trying so hard to be witty at times that the wit comes across as her sneering at her young readers. I also like my modern fairy tales to have a little more meat to them.

However, it was a cute read. Unremarkable and unmemorable, but cute.

[Holly]

Feb 2009

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i now suddenly want to be a princess, like seriously castles and dragons maan!

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this with Kaylee. It was ok, a little hard for me to follow at times, but overall a fun story for a little princess.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mainly I read this because my daughter said i HAD to cuz she loved it so much. It is a cute book for young girls.

[✿★Arely★✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a really good book i reccomend to all.

[Katelyn Siebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much it just written so well that I can visualize everthing and detail in my mind.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually much different than it sounds. I read it a while ago, though.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good sweet adventure story for girls. My five year old daughter loves it. Easy to read and engaging for me too, even though this would normally not be my cup of tea. We both enjoyed it together!

[Mona M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really cool. I loved the plot.

[Vidhika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about saving a kidnapped unicorn from being Sold and returning it back to the wild. I have no expreience...this is reality...i have not been kidnapped.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has a ridiculous cover but a nice story.

[Ashlynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Been a long time since I've read it