Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it is the world we live in today. I have just needed some great graphic novels in my life lately, and Dana Simpson never disappoints when she comes out with a new Phoebe and Her Unicorn Book! This month on October 23rd Phoebe returns with Marigold and all of her Heavenly Nostrils glory! This time though they are heading off to drama camp and they aren’t going alone. Marigold’s sister Florence Unfortunate Nostrils will be joining them. From the start Phoebe can tell that Marigold is distracted by Florence’s presence, and it upsets her greatly that her best friend didn’t have the same ideas for spending time together at camp. Luckily Phoebe has her friends Sue and Max at camp to help here navigate writing and preforming a play even when her best friend isn’t as attentive or empathetic as Phoebe needs her to be. Eventually the jealousy that Phoebe feels towards Florence can’t be contained anymore and things are worked out in a way that they can only be worked out between a little girl, two unicorns, and her two human friends in the middle of a drama camp!
This book was super cute, fun, and with a great lesson about navigating the complexities of friendships tied in. I loved the illustrations and humor as always with this series and appreciate the extra drawing the characters from the story tutorial in the back of the book. My daughters always love this part of drawing their favorite characters from the books. This was another great addition to the series and has both my daughters and myself excited to read what comes next for both Phoebe and Marigold!

If you've seen my other Phoebe reviews, you'll know that I thought the original comics were cute, but I didn't like the last "graphic novel" (as in, one consecutive plot from start to finish, instead of a bunch of one-shot comic strips) very much. I'm pleased to report that this one was much better! You can tell that Simpson has really grown more accustomed to this style with the longer-running storyline, and it was really cute. I'd definitely recommend this for any young kids.

This is one of my fave kids graphic novel series. It’s always cute and funny and I live that the theme of friendship always runs through it. And this volume was all about friendship and some issues that can arise between friends.

Omg the illustrations! I love how they are so rich and detailed. I also love how detail was given to things going on in the background (especially what Sue was up to).

This volume was just as fun and clever as the rest in the series.

I squealed when I saw another Phoebe and her Unicorn book coming out! I really love these so much. They always put me in a good mood and I love the way that Phoebe and Marigold interact so much! They are fun and funny, and the stories are always great.

In this installment we get a full graphic novel about friendship. Phoebe and Marigold are planing to go to drama camp but things get a bit weird when Marigold's sister turns up and Marigold starts leaving Phoebe to do her own thing. This was an emotional turn for the Heavenly Nostrils series, Phoebe felt left out and Marigold was just trying to be a good sister. I think that this episode did a good job explaining the important parts of friendship and showing such a strong friendship having problems - it happens and there are ways to talk it out.

While this installment was not as funny as others in the series it still had some great parts and I think that the overall story was a wonderful one and it was nice to see another side of Phoebe and Marigold. It still put a smile on my face and I am still super excited about all the book in this series!

If you are looking to get a middle grader into reading or graphic novels these are some fun options.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy. Once while a school librarian, I was able to purchase several books from a distributor who was retiring. Two Phoebe and Unicorn books were included, and I was surprised by how they were constantly checked out; the were rarely on the shelf, as they would be rapidly checked out as soon as they were returned. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the humor and thought that went into the writing of this; there is some subtle humor that perhaps only adults would get, but there was also a good lesson for anyone.

I love this series, but I found this one a little less funny than previous titles in this series. I do love how the universe is expanding and the stories are getting more complex.

My full review appears on Weekend Notes. Thanks to the publishers for sharing this title. I've enjoyed the whole series so far and my 9 year old loves them too (I got her paperback copies to enjoy).

Quirky, charming, and adorable yet again. It's never a bad time with Phoebe and Marigold, but Florence Unfortunate Nostrils was a welcome addition. These books are always a treat.

Phoebe and her Unicorn in Unicorn Theatre is a cute book with a meaningful message for elementary students. Arguments, jealousy, and misunderstandings happen on a daily basis, especially with kids. This is a book I would have in my classroom library for students in grades 2-4.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

With seven books in the series, Dana Simpson continues to charm graphic novel readers with her newest one: Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theatre! In this book, Phoebe and her unicorn, Marigold, are headed to drama camp. But Phoebe is irked when Marigold invites her sister to join them. Marigold ends up spending all of her time with her sister instead of Phoebe and that’s when the green-eyed monster rears its ugly head. How will Phoebe fix her friendship with Marigold? It’s real life drama at drama camp!

Simple illustrations lend a hand in the storytelling in this book. That, along with large word bubbles will make this a fun read for 2nd – 4th graders. The theme of friendship and dealing with jealousy is straightforward enough for any young reader to understand and take to heart. Another entertaining one in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this E-ARC!

What a delightful addition to the Unicorn Series!
Phoebe and Marigold are off to camp together and Phoebe is so excited about spending of quality time with her. However, Marigold brings her sister along and Phoebe finds herself a bit jealous. Just Marigold's sister's name will bring laughter to her readers, none other than Florence Unfortunate Nostrils.
Beyond the humor that the characters impart, the theme of friendship, exclusive and inclusive, are explored. There is an important message here but is interspersed with fun at the same time. I guarantee this book will be flying off the shelves as do all the others in the collection.

I can always count on Phoebe and her Unicorn adventures to make me chuckle, but this installment had an extra side of emotional resonance.

For most of the story arcs of Phoebe and her Unicorn, it's been primarily, well, Phoebe and Marigold. While they have a colorful supporting cast of nerdy parents, friends and frenemies, and an assortment of other magical creatures, nothing has really come between or threatened to come between the two best friends. Until now. And who might come between a girl and her unicorn? A unicorn's sister. Readers will be able to identify with Phoebe's hurt that her bestie might have moved onto someone else, even knowing logically that a sister is a strong relationship too. The result of the conflict and its resolution is a strangely poignant and quirky denouement, keeping well in tone to the wit and humor of the series.

For all that the story hits some sad emotional beats, though, it also has many of the hilarious moments that fans have come to expect, like Florence Unfortunate Nostrils' delight at no longer having spiders come out of her nose when she sneezes (creating some hilarious moments when she meets new people), or the delightful social awkwardness of Phoebe's friends Sue and Max, or the play they have to produce by the end of drama camp. Some of the magical creatures of previous installments return too, resulting in some of the most entertaining dialogue-less panels.

This installment doesn't come out until October (thanks for the ARC, Andrews McMeel and Netgalley!), which means if you haven't been following the adventures of Phoebe and Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, you have time to get caught up!

**Many thanks to NetGalley for this copy**

Ivan and I have been hooked since the first Pheobe and her Unicorn book. Here comes #8, Unicorn Theater by Dana Simpson.

This one is all summer camp and that was fun. Instead of band, this year Phoebe wanted to attend drama camp. She is looking forward to spending time with Marigold (the Unicorn is named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils for those who are unfamiliar), but Marigold has invited her sister Florence Unfortunate Nostrils.

It's a silly story, but it seriously deals with the whole jealousy issue. Don't act like you haven't ever been jealous when a friend is spending time with someone else. We've all been there. That's right, I'm saying I learned something here. Not that I didn't already know that on a human level, but it was a good refresher course. Just because your friend is hanging with someone else, doesn't take away your friendship nor diminish it's importance.

It's a great message in a fun book. Ivan and I both think so!

Phoebe and her unicorn are back, but this time not everything is heavenly. Marigold has a sister named Florence and her long visit makes Phoebe feel left out. Surely things will get better at camp, but this year camp will be different because camp is not for music, but for drama. And boy will there be drama. I love the story of this book. It's about friends having differences and being okay with those differences. Being okay that two friends do not have to spend every waking moment with each other and that friendship doesn’t end just because each person enjoys spending time in different ways. This was not the usual laugh riot you get with a Simpson book, but the story has heart and more then makes up for the lack of one liners and quips.

I was really excited to see that the latest Phoebe and her Unicorn was a full story. I loved the last one, and was looking forward to this one. It was cute, and it was great seeing Florence, Marigold's sister.

Great message, but I felt like I was coming in during the middle of a joke. (Confession: I have been slowly making my way through the series from the beginning, so probably missed some things that played into this one - like Florence, and Sue). I'll have to read this again once I've gotten through the rest of the books.

I always enjoy reading about Phoebe and her unicorn friend. In this volume, we see Phoebe meet up with her friend Sue at drama camp. Her friend Max from school is also there, helping with their end-of-camp-play. In this volume Phoebe feels neglected by Heavenly Nostrils because she is reconnecting with her sister Unfortunate Nostrils. The main theme of the book is friendship. I would recommend reading the other volumes in order because the story does build upon itself.

I am addicted to this series, and, of course, Unicorn Theater does not disappoint.

Marigold's sister Florence comes for a visit, and Phoebe feels left out. Everyone ends up at a drama camp, and they work on a play to show all of the other people at camp..

I love that Ringo, Sue, Max and Voltina all make appearances. All of the characters are adorable, including the Nostril Sisters. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Phoebe and her Unicorn are back!

And as an added unicorn bonus we get Carnation's sister along for the ride.

A sweet and simple story with bright illustrations that stresses the importance of talking out your feelings and even reminding kids that it's okay to feel left out but that it's key to talk about that feeling.

I loved the subtle nods to having nerdy parents or having two mommies. There is always something in Phoebe's stories that shows kids what diversity looks like without screaming "Diversity Check!" which is the best way for them to learn it.

A great read for siblings and friends.

Phoebe and Marigold are back and headed to drama camp!
Marigold always attends camp with Phoebe but this year she has invited her sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils, to go with them.

Phoebe tries to shake off feeling ignored by working with her summer camp pal Sue writing, producing, and acting in a play at Camp Thespis. Jealous that Marigold's time and attention are fixed on her sister, Phoebe and Marigold's friendship is put to the test.
Later, Phoebe realizes that Marigold is trying to fix a previous problem she had with her sister and that it's all because she has grown and matured through her friendship with Phoebe. Overall it's a wonderful tale of sisterhood/friendship!

While previous graphic novels in this series have been collections of 4-panel comics with witty one-liner wise cracks, this is a single story arc of summer camp and friendship. Most of the characters introduced previously return and they are still full of the oddball personality and whimsy longtime readers have come to know and love!

This is a wonderful series for both young and older readers (my daughter and I love to read this series together!) because it contains important lessons told with humor and Simpson often throws in a joke or reference that adults will enjoy and relate to. The illustrations are the bright, signature style that I've come to recognize and adore!

Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review purposes. Unicorn Theater is scheduled for release on October 23, 2018.

I absolutely adore Phoebe and her unicorn and am thrilled there is another installment about to be published. In this addition to the series we see Phoebe heading to drama camp and her disappointment when Marigold's sister decides to join them as it takes away from the time Phoebe gets to spend with her best friend. Still, Marigold and her sister need time to reconcile a past hurt and when all is said and done the reader learns some important lessons about being a good sister and a good friend. Plus we get a front row seat to Phoebe and Sue's goofy play. Great fun!

Thank you, Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this new graphic novel.