If I had a Unicorn by Gabby Dawnay illustrated by Alex Barrow

Children will enjoy the experience of reading this book again and again, 

noticing something new each time. Kirkus

Publisher blurb: Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have a unicorn for a pet? Besides being much less angry than a troll and far more conveniently sized than a giant, unicorns only ever eat ice-cream for breakfast AND… every time you get upset they feed you candyfloss! In this humorous, energetically rhyming tale, a little girl experiences exactly what life would be like with a magical creature for a pet – from sprinkling stardust on grumpy parents to sliding into football practice on a rainbow. This book celebrates the magic of unicorns in a way that will appeal to children who are allergic to pink.

At the start of Children's Book Week here in Australia I walked along the road to our local Street Library and I found some picture book treasures. Someone must have cleared out their bookshelves over the weekend - winner winner!

One of the books I picked up was If I had a Unicorn published by Thames and Hudson and it is in almost mint condition. 

Why do I like and recommend this book?

• The end papers are based on the famous Unicorn Tapestries. 
• The seven individual hangings known as "The Unicorn Tapestries," are among the most beautiful and complex works of art from the late Middle Ages that survive. Luxuriously woven in fine wool and silk with silver and gilded threads, the tapestries vividly depict scenes associated with a hunt for the elusive, magical unicorn.
• This image is also referenced later in the story.
• The opening pages of this book are written as a rebus - what a fabulous way to begin this story.

• This book links perfectly with the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) slogan 'Book an Adventure':  "My unicorn would check his hooves - we'd travel far and wide ... Each day a new adventure. Just imagine - what a ride!"
• I love that this is a unicorn book that can be enjoyed by boys and girls. So many unicorn books are very pink and have more appeal to girl readers. 
• Very young children will enjoy calling out the 'forbidden' word when that pile of rainbow *** appears.

Here is the website for Alex Barrow. 

Gabby Dawnay has several other books in this series. I also need to find her book The Library Book illustrated by Ian Morris and her series about the seasons called A Field Guide (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter):