A while back, I was browsing through the stacks of a bookstore, looking for a good new comic to read. I love, love, love graphic novels and was hoping to find something new, and I soon found myself looking through the kids’ section, waiting for something to catch my eye. Cue Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson. The pink and sparkly cover featuring a happy girl and unicorn immediately caught my attention. And upon opening it, I saw an introduction from Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn, claiming, “…Phoebe and Her Unicorn is nothing less than the best comic strip to come along since Calvin and Hobbes.” Very high praise, and, being a Calvin and Hobbes fan myself, I decided to check it out.
This book is the first of a number of collections of the comic strip. We’re introduced to a precocious 9-year-old girl named Phoebe who one day meets an arrogant, self-absorbed unicorn named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils (no, really). After inadvertently saving the unicorn, Phoebe is granted one wish, and the result is a friendship between the unusual pair. The rest of the book introduces Phoebe’s family and classmates as she navigates the world with her new unicorn pal.
I love this comic! It’s legitimately funny and took me by surprise. I highly recommend it!
– Anne, BPL