Phoebe and Her Unicorn (Phoebe and Her Unicorn Series Book 1)

This book is hilarious and clever. My daughter has already read both of the Pheobe and Her Unicorn books several times over out-loud to me, which I thoroughly enjoy. Absolutely LOVE this series. We can't wait for the next one!!

Having read some of the original strips online, and learning this was a local cartoonist, I couldn't help but pick this up. Needless to say, I am not disappointed. The book itself is very well made, and the covers look great. Inside, you'll find full-color pages of subtle wit and hijinks that makes this series a keeper. I hate to use this comparison: but it's like Calvin & Hobbes, just swap a boy with a girl, a tiger with a unicorn, and add Simpson's unique character and perspective.

Overall, very happy with this book.

Sarcastic girl meets sarcastic unicorn. Dana Simpson, known and loved for her Ozy and Mille webcomic (now also printed), is back to again make us question the world, this time with a snarky unicorn that will unseat our ideas of unicorn pride and decorum (and possibly unicorn sanity.)

I intentionally did not read more than a few strips online because the ones I saw were so good. However, when I got the book I found that half of the strips have the same punchline. Ms. Simpson does have talent, though, and I won't write her off just yet.

I was very disappointed in this book. I ordered it for my 8 yr old granddaughter's birthday. We started reading it together. She got to the name calling part where the classmate was calling Phoebe "stupidbutt", over and over. She turned to me and said that she didn't like to read books with those types of words or with name calling. Along with that, the main character was mouthy and a little obnoxious. My grandaughter was immediately turned off and gave the book back. Fortunately, I had another book I had been saving for another time and I gave her the other, more appropriate book. I thought this book was a pretty poor example of how we want kids to behave. Plenty of reviewers think it is cute, but it left me a bit disgusted.

When I discovered who the author of "Phoebe and her Unicorn" was, I was immediately skeptical. Dana Simpson earned a fair bit of infamy online with a few of her webcomics, and while she has (probably wisely) distanced herself from these comics since then, I worried that her comic, as cute and lighthearted as it seemed to be, would ultimately become a vehicle for her political and social views. But recommendations from both friends and well-known figures (including one of my favorite authors of all time, Peter S. Beagle, who wrote the foreword for this volume) convinced me to give it a chance. And am I glad I did -- "Phoebe and her Unicorn" is a fantastic strip, one that combines the wonder and imagination of childhood with the snark that develops between good friends and a keen eye for the foibles of our modern world.

Nine-year-old Phoebe is skipping rocks in the woods one day when she accidentally hits a woodland creature in the face. But this is no ordinary woodland creature -- this is Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, a unicorn! Phoebe's rock happened to free her from the spell of her own reflection (Marigold is incredibly vain), and in return for this "good deed" she offers the girl a wish. The girl's wish (after the inevitable "infinite wishes" and "infinite money," both of which are rejected) is for Marigold to become her best friend... and Marigold begrudgingly agrees. Thus begins a series of adventures that will pit Phoebe and Marigold against the bratty popular girl in Phoebe's class, spark an unlikely friendship with a geeky boy, and lead to a memorable introduction to Phoebe's parents... all while girl and unicorn exchange good-natured banter and snark along the way.

Dana Simpson's art style is cartoony and stylized, which suits this comic just fine. Many like to compare the cartoon to Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes," but Dana leans more toward the cartoon-ish side than Watterson ever did, and doesn't fall back on ultra-realistic imagine spots (though her backgrounds seem to be a homage to Watterson's work). Marigold's design in particular is nearly identical to Amalthea's in "The Last Unicorn," though with enough differences that it looks more like a shout-out than a rip-off. Also notable is that, unlike Calvin, Charlie Brown, and many other cartoon characters, Phoebe actually has a wardrobe of more than one outfit, which makes for a nice change of pace.

The humor and writing style of the comic is also highly reminiscent of Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes," albeit with a slightly older girl and her unicorn friend rather than a six-year-old boy and his tiger. But this is a "Calvin and Hobbes" that has been updated for the modern day, with Phoebe owning a cell phone and exchanging texts with her unicorn friend (who can magically text with her horn, apparently), relying on Google for answers, etc. There are some differences in character personality as well -- Phoebe's imagination isn't quite as vibrant and wild as Calvin's, her behavior is less destructive and frustrating for her parents to deal with, and she has a more little-girl vocabulary than Calvin's inexplicably advanced choice of words. Phoebe shares Hobbes' pride in her species and disdain for humanity, but for her it comes across more as the vanity of an immortal mythical creature and less like a predator looking down on his prey.

The book includes the aforementioned foreword by Beagle, as well as activities for kids -- guides on drawing the main characters, a recipe for unicorn-themed trail mix, crafts, etc. There's even a guide on how to draw your own comic strip, as well as where to find further information on unicorns. Nice bonuses.

"Phoebe and Her Unicorn" is an entertaining strip for both kids and adults, bringing the child-and-animal-friend dynamic and kid-like sensibilities of "Calvin and Hobbes" into the modern day (and thankfully eschewing Watterson's dislike for humanity in general in the process). Don't be fooled by the girly-looking cover -- this is a book for all ages.

I should preface this with: I have never read these webcomics or anything else by Dana Simpson. That being said, this is absolutely the funniest graphic novel I've read in awhile. I picked this book up at Meijer and was halfway through it before I realized I was still standing in the book isle. So, I bought two copies right there, and sent one to my 11 year old niece, who, having a similar sense of humor as myself, thought it was hilarious. The illustrations are crisp and clear, unlike a lot of graphic novels, and the text looks comic book-esque without being difficult to read. The girl is sarcastic, the unicorn is sarcastic, and they're best friends. There is very little, if any, negative humor in this book. The antagonist is a snarky little girl in Phoebe's class, and is dealt with in a non-bullying way in the second book. I strongly suggest this book for both boys and girls. The pink cover might throw boys off at first, but it's so very funny. I really think they would connect with the unicorn (Heavenly Nostrils). I will test it out on my nephew and see. I am still not sure if adults can see Phoebe. Her extremely patient mother is very much like Calvin's from Calvin and Hobbes...Is she playing along or does she really see her? The other kids certainly can, however. However, if you have a girl who is reluctant to read, I would suggest giving this book, and it's sequel, Unicorn on a Roll ( http://www.the store.com/Unicorn-Roll-Adventure-Heavenly-Nostrils/dp/1449470769/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 ). There is also a 3rd book coming out in February. I think as a read-together book, you could go as low as 5, especially if you like pretty unicorn pictures, but the humor might be lost until you have a 10+ year old.

The young cartoonist probably got inspiration from "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" (the girl's pony toys do bear a little resemblance) and "The Last Unicorn" (yes, the unicorn character looks just like that!) to create a new version of the fantasy about a kid who suddenly finds a beautiful unicorn in the woods and they become fast friends, too. This version now has its own brand of humor where the two characters sass at each other like modern best friends would in grade/middle school. In fact, it's so witty that even teenagers and adults would probably enjoy this graphic novel meant for kids - well, fair-colored female kids between 8 and 12 years old, of course. :)

But, on other hand, I am a little uncomfortable by the duo's very cynical attitude toward each other (and the unicorn's attitude toward "hairless pink" humanity in general. Probably means the creature actually thinks highly of people who AREN'T Caucasian, of course.) While the young heroine and her rather haughty four-legged "girlfriend" seem to genuinely like each other, I wonder how long it would before they finally hit a nerve and get into a full-blown, insult-hurling catfight before calling it quits altogether? :/

A collection of the comic strips of the same name, PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN is about an eccentric and precocious little girl named Phoebe. One day while skipping rocks across a pond, Phoebe hits a unicorn in the face. This incident results in the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, to become best friends. Marigold shares in the adventures of Phoebe's life. Marigold is real, but no one is very impressed with her because of a magical "Shield of Boringness" that keeps people from being overwhelmed by her natural splendor. Although written from a young female perspective, PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN is a comic collection that both male and female readers or any age can enjoy. Although often compared to "Calvin and Hobbes" and "Peanuts", PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN is only similar to those strips because it revolves around a child and that, like those other strips, it contains some humor that can only be appreciated by adults.

Love this series, and love reading how it all began! My children adore Marigold (and definitely wish--know?--she was real!) Phoebe is a terrific heroine, and an awesome role model for little girls, she's smart, warm, funny, and confident in her own adorable weirdness. (We need more kids like this in books!) Dana Simpson effortlessly creates and shares a friendship that we feel apart of as we peek in on Marigold and Phoebe's adventures. She captures the sweetness and magic of childhood, recreating all the moments we little girls played in the forest imagining we were roaming with a unicorn friend. Now we get to read what it's like for one lucky little girl who really gets to know an actual unicorn! And it's so funny and fun. This is a great read!

...Unicorn. The introduction by Peter S. Beagle (yes, THAT Peter S. Beagle) does not overstate it; this is a remarkable comic strip achievement. One indication of this is the way Dana Simpson so often avoids the obvious gag in this chock-full-of-gags strip in favor of a subtler (or odder gag) that builds character and the evolving narrative.

Note: The magic continues in Unicorn on a Roll: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure (Heavenly Nostrils).

Written originally as short comics, now put together in one book, Phoebe and Her Unicorn is a laughfest! Phoebe, who doesn't really have friends, makes friends with a unicorn, Heavenly Nostrils. They go on adventures, not exciting adventures but adventures nonetheless. Filled with laugh-out-loud humor, sarcastic wit, and dry humor, this graphic novel is great for anyone who wants a laugh.

My 7 year old daughter loves this book. The intro describes it as a sort of Calvin and Hobbes comic and I would say that is an accurate description. I would definitely recommend this for kids who like unicorns and/or humorous graphic novels/comic strips.