Book Review – Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert (Morag Hood and Ella Okstad)

Title – Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert
Author – Morag Hood (Author), Ella Okstad (Illustrator)
Genre – Children’s fiction

I had this book on my to-buy list for a while but when I saw it in a bookshop I knew I had to have it right there and then!

This is a children’s book about a girl called Sophie Johnson and her story about being a unicorn expert. The illustrations in the book are so bright and colourful.

I’ve found myself picking the book up just to flick through and look at the pictures.

As for the story, I have to admit to not being entirely convinced. It follows Sophie as she goes about her day, looking after her ‘unicorns’ (primarily her pets, sibling, and teddies). However, what Sophie fails to notice is that she has an actual unicorn in her home – she’s too busy looking after the other ‘unicorns’.

I feel like the irony of the story would be lost on most young children. I had to read it twice and do a bit of research just to confirm that my interpretation of the story is correct. And other than this irony, there are no other messages or stories delivered by this book.

So yes it’s beautifully illustrated and the story is fun but I could see me having to explain it to a child rather than them understanding it for themselves.