December 3, 2021
Gr 3-7-In the 14th book in the series, Phoebe, a young brown-skinned girl, and her pal Marigold the unicorn continue to reflect on the world, each other, and human-unicorn differences. The comic strips here cover many topics, including dealing with bad news in the world, reconciling different tastes in music, meeting Marigold's nonbinary cousin (pronouns: neigh/neigh're), and getting along with Phoebe's popular frenemy Dakota. Marigold's subplots involve magical creatures and ancient standards, while Phoebe's often include trappings of modern culture like smartphones and video games. Phoebe's innate curiosity and affability make her a great audience proxy, while Marigold is alternately Phoebe's humorous and comforting foil. Whenever they chat, friendship blossoms and deepens. The majority of pages use 2x2 panel layouts, with occasional changes of pace such as a gallery of unicorn vistas or a dragon's comedy roast performance. A glossary provides phonetic spellings and definitions of some of the book's vocabulary. VERDICT The dry wit, observational humor, and wholesome friendship at the core of the series have not dimmed one bit. Highly recommended.-Thomas Maluck
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