Here There Be Unicorns

by Jane Yolen

Book Overview

A fabulous collection of unicorn stories and poems, with both medieval and modern settings, weaves the author's imaginative perspective into traditional unicorn lore about the fabled beast's healing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152099026
• ISBN13: 9780152099022
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P
• Length: 115 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

A WARM IMAGINATIVE FANTASY

Jane Yolen's great creative gifts come to the fore in this enchanting volume, which is a marvelous companion to "Here There Be Dragons." Both of these collections of stories and poems are superbly illustrated by duotone pencil drawings by David Wilgus. His detailed pictures are true compliments to what are destined to become classics in children's literature.

You'll never see them the same way again

Unicorns usually mean fluff fiction characters, and sugary cliches. Not so here! This exquisitely illustrated collection of short stories and poems is worth the hunt for it. (Also recommended is the author's other book, White Hart)"Making of a Unicorn" is a beautiful poem in Shakespearean style, while "Unicorn Tapestry" is a haunting medieval story and romance. "Death of a Unicorn" is also beautiful, but a little hard to understand. "Infestation of Unicorns" is a slyly funny story about monks vs. unicorns. "The Lady's Garden" is a parable-like story about a beautiful, unnamed woman and three unicorns -- who end up adopting a human baby, with unexpected results. "Hunting of the Narwhal" is a catchy poem/song about finding a narwhal (a whale with a pointed horn protruding from its forehead). Then there is the uniquely-written "Boy Who Drew Unicorns," about an isolated boy who draws unicorns -- much of it is the dialogue of other people, who go unnamed and uncredited, like echoes."The Promise" is probably the shortest short story I've ever read. "The Hunt", a tale of the whole maiden-unicorn thing, is not much longer. "Unicorn Leaves is a pretty poem; so is "Unicorn's Pool." "De Natura Unicorni" is a grittier, harsher story that stays in the mind a lot longer -- the story of the hunt of a unicorn. "Unicorn and the Pool" (very different from the aforementioned poem) reads a bit like an old myth/legend. "Visitor's Account" is nice, though written quite differently from the other poems. "Healing Horn" is a gem among short stories, where some young kinds named after Yolen's own children find a magical unicorn's horn. Then "Rhinoceros," the content of which you can guess. Then it is "Li Po and the Unicorn," a Chinese-themed short story about the Chinese unicorn k'i-lin. And the last work of the book is "Fossils," about unicorn bones.The illustrations by David Wilgus are beautiful as well, soft and rouned and gently shaded so that they look almost real. Everything in it is beautifully written, and will add dimensions to your thoughts on unicorns. A very beautiful collection.

Never see them the same way again

Unicorns usually mean fluff fiction, idiotic characters, and sugary cliches. Not so here! This exquisitely illustrated collection of short stories and poems is worth the hunt for it. (Also recommended is the author's other book, White Hart)"Making of a Unicorn" is a beautiful poem in Shakespearean style, while "Unicorn Tapestry" is a haunting medieval story and romance. "Death of a Unicorn" is also beautiful, but a little hard to understand. "Infestation of Unicorns" is a slyly funny story about monks vs. unicorns. "The Lady's Garden" is a parable-like story about a beautiful, unnamed woman and three unicorns -- who end up adopting a human baby. "Hunting of the Narwhal" is a catchy poem/song about finding a narwhal (a whale with a pointed horn protruding from its forehead). Then there is the uniquely-written "Boy Who Drew Unicorns," about an isolated boy who draws unicorns -- much of it is the dialogue of other people, who go unnamed and uncredited, like echoes."The Promise" is probably the shortest short story I've ever read. "The Hunt", a tale of the whole maiden-unicorn thing, is not much longer. "Unicorn Leaves is a pretty poem; so is "Unicorn's Pool." "De Natura Unicorni" is a grittier, harsher story that stays in the mind a lot longer -- the story of the hunt of a unicorn. "Unicorn and the Pool" (very different from the aforementioned poem) reads a bit like an old myth/legend. "Visitor's Account" is nice, though written quite differently from the other poems. "Healing Horn" is a gem among short stories, where some young kinds named after Yolen's own children find a magical unicorn's horn. Then "Rhinoceros," the content of which you can guess. Then it is "Li Po and the Unicorn," a Chinese-themed short story about the Chinese unicorn k'i-lin. And the last work of the book is "Fossils," about unicorn bones.The illustrations by David Wilgus are beautiful as well, soft and rouned and gently shaded so that they look almost real. Everything in it is beautifully written, and will add dimensions to your thoughts on unicorns. A very beautiful collection.

This is Great!

I have loved literature since I was very littel and found this on the shelf. I checked it out and read it. The poems all are great from the one about fossils to the one about the birth of a unicorn. I particularly like the notes she places before each story/poem. All the stories are good, written with Jane Yolen's great talent for words. I especialy liked the story about three children finding a unicorn horn in thier great grandmothers attic and use it to cure animals. For all of you who like to believe in unicorns or as Jane Yolen put it "like to pretnd I do" this is a must have book!