Do You Believe in Unicorns?

“Hey, look—it’s a horse in a hat,” opens this irreverent picture book from Murguia (I Feel Five!). But what begins as a casual observation turns quickly into a guessing game, as the narrator invites readers to wonder what that hat might be hiding—perhaps a unicorn horn? As the horse trots off on a journey through various landscapes, the narrator poses plausible reasons for the smart red chapeau: it’s hiding messy hair; it’s providing a nice sun shade or rain cover. But doubt creeps in: wouldn’t the horse take off its hat when it sits down to tea? Maybe there is something to hide after all. When the hat comes off, a parade of clever optical tricks position the horse in front of hornlike grasses, slender towers, and sharp mountain peaks, keeping readers wondering what creature they’re looking at. With its minimal text and wry visual jokes, this playful offering offers good fun. Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]