cover image A New Friend for Sparkle

A New Friend for Sparkle

Amy Young. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-374-30553-6

Lucy and her goatish pet unicorn from A Unicorn Named Sparkle bring another friend into the mix in a sequel that recognizes that three can be a crowd. After Lucy’s friend Cole shows up for a play date, Sparkle feels like the odd unicorn out; then Lucy gets jealous as Sparkle and Cole bond over banging on a drum. With no adults around (perhaps because of all the drumming) the three work things out on their own. Young’s story covers familiar friendship-trouble terrain, but both text and art are keenly sensitive to the delicate emotions at play. Ages 4–7. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (June)