Revisiting The Baby Unicorn by Jean and Claudio Marzollo
Did you know that National Unicorn Day is on April 9th? I missed celebrating it last year. I shall make no such egregious mistake in 2026. Let’s kick off the party early! On the eve of such a mythical day, it seems only fitting to review one of my favorite childhood tales, The Baby Unicorn by Jean and Claudio Marzollo, illustrated by R.J. Blake.
The story begins with the birth of a baby unicorn without a horn, just a star-shaped spot on her forehead. Star lives in a secluded forest with only her parents for company. The fiery, red-maned filly longs for her own spire to develop and hates being “a baby,” but her mother patiently explains that she is still “too young for magic” and must wait to grow up before she can claim her place alongside the last seven unicorns in the world.
For danger haunts her kind in the form of marauding dragons. Star discovers that the fate of her species was twisted by a greedy dragon who so coveted their magic that they killed a unicorn. But this act tainted the stolen spire with evil and turned all dragons hateful against their former friends forever. This is why Star’s birth is so very important to the survival of her species, because her father uncovers an “Eight-Horn Friendship Spell for Changing Enemies into Friends” in a unicorn book. Powerful, lofty stakes for a children’s story that take it beyond just a quaint bedtime fairy tale!
Blake’s gorgeous illustrations do not mask the darkness, either. As a child, I was struck with horror by one page where multiple dragons are depicted coiling through a forest and dueling other unicorns. One slain unicorn even lies under a reptile’s grasping talons, eyes closed, its fierce horn shattered in battle. This legendary war between mystical beasts becomes all too real for the young reader.
Yet there is a wild loveliness woven throughout the imagery, too. The woodland is dappled with both shadows and warm shafts of light, and sunshine casts a glow over the golden, flower-threaded mane of the mother unicorn. When Father must depart to protect the other unicorns, Mother casts a “House Spell” to keep their precious child safe, transforming into a comforting, golden-thatched cottage with charming flowers still woven into the straw.
Star feels stifled in the confines of the house, which Mother gives no door and only small windows to ensconce her daughter from outside harm. Yet when a dragon reaches its scaly claws through a window to hunt for her, Star is forced to act. She doesn’t squeal in fright or bolt in panic. Instead, she gathers her courage and stealthily hides underneath a table until the dragon gives up its search and leaves. This tiny act of bravery sparks her first hint of a spire, but it’s only one inch long and still useless for the Eight-Horn Friendship spell.
When Star learns that her father and the rest of the unicorns are trapped in a cave by dragons, she refuses to wait any longer even though her mother isn’t ready to release her from the safety of the House Spell. The vivid violence of Star’s break-out scene fills two pages as she pushes her way through one of the narrow windows, splintering wooden beams, and scattering thatching and window box flowers in an explosion of energy. The enchanted house cries out, the mother straining to keep her child safe within her sphere of protection, but Star won’t be stopped by the fear of external perils. Her brave determination earns her several more inches of spire height.
What I love about the next part of the journey is that Star doesn’t just set off on her own. Mother changes back into her horse form and joins her daughter in battle, with Star apologizing for running away, and charging alongside her on a rescue mission. Together, they slash and kick their way through trees infected by evil magic meant to trap and prevent them from aiding the other unicorns. Star’s horn grows with every stubborn step forward until Mother tells her that just “one more brave act” should give her a full-grown spire.
But when they finally make it into the cave, Star must face the terrible truth that her horn still isn’t ready. The dragons mock them as they surround the last herd of unicorns, but instead of giving into despair, the brave baby unicorn charges forward and defiantly jumps at their tormentors, halting their advance. This daring act grants Star’s horn the last bit of necessary glint to complete the Eight-Horn Friendship Spell and return all dragons to sanity.
I particularly adore one of the last lines: “The dragons never grew jealous of the unicorns because they knew that having a unicorn for a friend was like having your own personal magician.” Star even becomes friends with a baby dragon named “Moon,” which you can read all about in the sequel tale, Baby Unicorn and Baby Dragon.
As you can see, this book was well-loved for many years. And Star’s story is well worth a read almost four decades later!
Source:
Marzollo, Jean and Claudio. Illustrated by R.J. Blake. The Baby Unicorn. Scholastic Inc. 1987.
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