Horses

Jean Marzollo’s Let’s Go, Pegasus! (Little, Brown, 2006) is a retelling of the myth of Perseus, the gorgon Medusa, and the winged horse Pegasus with the help of a chorus of owls. For ages 4-8.

Jane Yolen’s Pegasus: The Flying Horse (Dutton Books, 1998) is a lovely picture-book retelling of the Greek myth in which the young Bellerophon, prince of Corinth, with a little help from Athena, tames the winged horse Pegasus, battles the monstrous Chimaera, and marries a beautiful princess, only to be thrown from his magical horse and crippled for daring to claim a place among the gods. For ages 6-10.

A more formal version of the story is Marianna Mayer’s Pegasus (William Morrow, 1998); the book features exquisite illustrations reminiscent of Renaissance oil paintings. For ages 7-12.

Homer’s Iliad, of which there are many editions for readers of various skill levels and ages, includes the story of the Trojan Horse, the enormous wooden horse with which the Greeks tricked the Trojans into letting them into their walled city, thus winning the Trojan War.

Make a 3-D paper model of the Trojan Horse.

Also see Mythology.

In Briony May Smith’s Margaret’s Unicorn (Schwartz & Wade, 2020), Margaret’s family has moved to a cottage near the sea – and there Margaret finds an abandoned baby unicorn. She cares for him through fall and winter – but in the spring, with the return of the adult unicorns, she knows it’s time for him to go home. For ages 4-8.

By Adam Gidwitz, in The Creature of the Pines (Puffin, 2019) – the first of a series about the Unicorn Rescue Society – friends Elliot and Uchenna join a secret society dedicated to protecting the world’s mythical creatures. For ages 7-10.

By Selwyn E. Phipps, The Magical Unicorn Society Official Handbook (Feiwel & Friends, 2018) is a beautifully illustrated guide to all things unicorn. Included are a history of unicorns, unicorn myths, notes on unicorn food, hints for tracking and communicating with unicorns, and more. For ages 8-12.

By Sarah Laskow, The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns (Penguin, 2019) is a charming illustrated account of the myths, science, and history of unicorns. For ages 8-12.

In R.L. LaFevers’s The Unicorn’s Tale (HMH, 2012), Nathaniel Fludd, budding beastologist, still hoping to find his missing parents, must care for a mysteriously ailing unicorn – and keep the nefarious Obediah Fludd from stealing the unicorn’s horn. One of a series for ages 8-12.

In Kamilla Benko’s The Unicorn Quest (Bloomsbury, 2019), sisters Claire and Sophie, via a strange ladder in the fireplace, enter the magical world of Arden, where the four magical guilds are at odds with each other and the unicorns have disappeared. First of a series for ages 8-12.

In Bruce Coville’s Into the Land of the Unicorns (FCA Press, 2018), Cara, with the help of her grandmother’s mysterious amulet, escapes a pursuer and enters the Land of the Unicorns, tasked with bringing her grandmother’s message to the oldest unicorn. An exciting fantasy with three sequels for ages 9-12.

In Jacqueline Ogburn’s The Unicorn in the Barn (HMH, 2019), 11-year-old Eric discovers that his neighbor, a veterinarian, and her daughter Allegra are caring for an injured unicorn in their barn – and they enlist Eric’s help. For ages 9-12.

James Cross Giblin’s The Truth About Unicorns (HarperCollins, 1996) is a history of the belief in unicorns, incorporating stories from ancient Greece, China, India, medieval Europe, and more. For ages 9-12.

Jane Yolen’s Here There Be Unicorns (Harcourt, 1994) is a collection of stories and poems about unicorns from a wide range of mythical traditions. For ages 10 and up.

In Peter Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (Ace, 1991), the last unicorn leaves her enchanted forest to try to find others of her kind, accompanied by Schmendrick, an inept magician, and the feisty but soft-hearted Molly Grue, who has always believed in legends. Their quest eventually takes them to the castle of the evil King Haggard and the terrifying Red Bull. For ages 12 and up.

The animated movie The Last Unicorn is rated G.

The Unicorn Tapestries are described as one of the most beautiful works of art from the late Middle Ages.

Make these wonderful unicorn puppets.

From Red Ted Art, see instructions for making 3-D paper unicorn ornaments with rainbow manes.