This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Mansoor Ahmed for Readers' Favorite
Most of us have probably spent zero time wondering who the first unicorn was. But that's exactly the kind of question Kathleen J. Shields decided deserved a whole story, and the result is something genuinely charming. The First Unicorn: Miracle on Wonder Island drops us onto an untouched island paradise — pink skies, crystal beaches, the whole dream — where a white colt named Aden is busy being nothing like the other horses around him. He's got a red mane, ocean-blue eyes, and apparently no interest in keeping to himself the way everyone else does. While the rest of the herd minds their business, Aden's out there making friends with ducks, nudging baby turtles toward the water, and somehow getting rabbits unstuck from thorn bushes. When an angel appears and gifts him a golden horn, his gentle habits take on a much larger purpose. It’s a lovely, layered look at what it means to be different, face rejection for it, and choose to stay kind anyway.
Kathleen J. Shields writes with a genuine warmth that never feels forced or overly sentimental. While the narrative has a wonderful, almost magical rhythm to it, the plot moves along beautifully without ever losing its gentle momentum. One of the best moments in the book is a quiet scene where Aden comforts a young horse named Buck during a terrible storm; it’s a small, sweet interaction that really anchors the book’s entire message. The individuals are drawn with a lot of heart, especially Aden’s mother, whose poetic words at his birth set a beautiful tone for everything that follows. The themes of faith, kindness, and the dignity of standing out give The First Unicorn a depth that goes way beyond a typical children's story. It’s one of those rare books that adults will find just as comforting and meaningful as the kids they’re reading it to.
