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Why comics matter for young readers 02/12/24
Don't Call Me Grumpycorn
Publisher: Scholastic
Unicorn is heading into space in his brand new, super-duper rocket with his friends Narwhal, Mermaid and Jellyfish, determined to land on only the most fabulous planet. Yet when his friends make suggestions about where to land, he shouts at them for being backseat drivers – then gets annoyed when Jellyfish calls him Grumpycorn…
Things don’t improve when Unicorn deigns to land on a planet he thinks is fabulous enough for him: he insists, rather unsportingly, on being the first off the rocket. Yet when Unicorn finds that the planet is full of fabulous unicorns, shouldn’t he be more happy than he is? It’s a test of character whether Unicorn will side with the other unicorns or his real friends… will he be Unicorn or Grumpycorn?
Sarah McIntyre’s story about friendship and tolerance is bright and funny as usual, and recognises that sometimes we can all be Grumpycorns when things aren’t quite going our way; also, it’s a reminder that we might think we always want to be with people just like us, but it’s good to remember that our best friends are the ones that appreciate our differences too.