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melomindy's review
3.0
Physical book owned - will not keep
This book is geared towards kids, but had lovely illustrations. Very informative on a general history of the myth of unicorns.
This book is geared towards kids, but had lovely illustrations. Very informative on a general history of the myth of unicorns.
dandelionfluff's review
3.0
Published in 1991, this book's information is a bit outdated. For example, the text speculates that narwhals are in danger of extinction, but they are not. They're in danger of being endangered. Other than bits of misinformation, the history of the unicorn throughout the world's countries and cultures is fun reading.
brogan7's review
informative
medium-paced
4.25
This is a very informative book about the history of humankind's view of unicorns, starting with the first time such a being was mentioned in writing and looking across cultures and time periods as to how the unicorn was conceptualized.
I enjoyed reading about the tapestries, even though they analyzed the tapestries held in New York but not those in Paris (and the subject of those tapestries is rather grizzly).
I was not familiar with the Christian associations with unicorns (where unicorns were seen as a symbol of/stand-in for Christ)--this explains some of the grizzliness (the unicorn hunt, the special, white, spiritual horse, the transport of its body, etc).
I started looking up other children's non fiction books by the same author and hope to read the one about utensils and the one about windows! He also has one about chimney sweeps! A beautiful, creative exploration of topics of interest to young and old alike.
*NB He uses the term "Eskimo" instead of "Inuit" which is jarring and I would have thought would have been obvious even in 1991 as lacking in cultural sensitivity.
I enjoyed reading about the tapestries, even though they analyzed the tapestries held in New York but not those in Paris (and the subject of those tapestries is rather grizzly).
I was not familiar with the Christian associations with unicorns (where unicorns were seen as a symbol of/stand-in for Christ)--this explains some of the grizzliness (the unicorn hunt, the special, white, spiritual horse, the transport of its body, etc).
I started looking up other children's non fiction books by the same author and hope to read the one about utensils and the one about windows! He also has one about chimney sweeps! A beautiful, creative exploration of topics of interest to young and old alike.
*NB He uses the term "Eskimo" instead of "Inuit" which is jarring and I would have thought would have been obvious even in 1991 as lacking in cultural sensitivity.
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