An amazing heartfelt and inspiring story centered on kindness, courage, and discovering one’s divine purpose. Written in a way that is accessible for younger readers, it carries a meaningful message that will my child will love!

The author thoughtfully explores themes of belonging, purpose, and embracing what makes us different. Aden’s story is a gentle reminder that leading with love, helping others, and trusting in a greater path can lead to something truly extraordinary.

This is a faith-centered story that will especially resonate with young readers who are in need of spiritual growth and encouragement, offering opportunities for discussion about kindness, resilience, and the idea that our differences can be a blessing.

Thank you for allowing me to review this ARC.

This story is beautifully crafted for a young audience that gives both a gentle narrative and meaningful life lessons. From the very beginning, the imagery is vivid and engaging, bringing readers into a world that feels both magical and purposeful. The book carries clear parallels to the life and message of Jesus, presented in a way that is accessible for children. It emphasizes kindness, love, and compassion even in the face of adversity. One of the strongest elements of the story is its focus on forgiveness and growth. The journey of the main character highlights the importance of developing one’s gifts and using them to serve others. This theme of nurturing personal strengths while spreading God’s love is shown throughout the narrative. Overall, this is a heartfelt and uplifting story that would resonate well with families looking for faith centered children’s literature. It encourages young readers to lead with kindness, grow in their purpose, and reflect love in their everyday lives.

What a sweet story. Aden, the unicorn, is kind hearted, patient, empathetic, and forgiving character. As a mom, there are so many themes from this story that resonated with me. The main character has traits that I would want my children to read about and embrace as they grow older. I think the message is wonderful.

I do worry that not all readers would be drawn to the story because of the religious parallels. However the book reads like a fable, teaching life lessons that everyone should embody. Many chapters can stand alone even with a common thread through the whole story. This would be an easy book for a young reader because they will not need to remember every detail from earlier chapters to understand future plot.

One of my favorite side stories was of Buck, they seemed to lose their compassion after a negative experience with another animal. They let it define how they interacted with the world and all animals of that species. His perspective changes as he gets to observe how Aden approaches animals that are different to him. What a great lesson for humans to learn during this day and age.

Thank you Net gallery and Author Kathleen Shields. Such a beautiful written and genuine story. What a sweet story. Aden, the unicorn, is kind hearted, patient, empathetic, and forgiving character.  It emphasizes kindness, love, and compassion even in the face of adversity. One of the strongest elements of the story is its focus on forgiveness and growth. This is lovely for the younger readers. My 8 year old loved the story. Thank you for a wonderful book.

I really appreciated how the “chapters” were condensed into single pages on my Kindle—perfect for bite-sized reading, especially for those who may struggle with or feel less confident in reading. The writing was strong overall, though at times it felt a bit dull.

I loved this book so much. The messages you take away from this book are incredible. I truly feel closer to God after reading this. Shields uses her gift not only to tell amazing stories but also to share her faith. The idea that anyone can be a unicorn is amazing. I really love the writing style and will be reading more of Shield's books. The First Unicorn is a masterpiece, if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for go read it!

This was a really lovely read, and the kids genuinely enjoyed it. The story is centred on kindness and Christian morals. I really appreciate it when religious stories focus on promoting goodness rather than dwelling on the negative, especially for children and introducing them to religion.
It's sweet, uplifting and makes for a wonderful read aloud at bedtime.