This is such a cute picture book about figuring out where you belong! Milly is a donkey pretending to be a unicorn to get into unicorn school. When she does, she starts to get the feeling that she just isn't measuring up to all the other unicorns there. But then Milly discovers that all of the others are also pretending to be unicorns to fit in, too! So they all decide to just be themselves & go to an all-animal school instead.

My kids and I enjoyed the vibrant illustrations and sweet little story. It brought up a discussion about being yourself and also worrying about fitting in to certain situations. I believe these are very important topics to talk about with our kids to help them as they grow up!

I adore unicorn stories and this one did not disappoint. Milly gets accepted to unicorn school but there's one problem: she's a donkey. Will the other unicorns accept her at her new school? She learns that all unicorns may not be who they appear to be. I loved the colorful illustrations. This would be a cute book for story time.

Milly is a little unsure about Unicorn School . . . those pics she sent in miiiight have misrepresented her just a little. But she's super excited to go, and she can't wait to see all the cool stuff and meet all the unicorns! When she gets there, she finds out that she's got way more in common with the other students than she ever imagined. Bright, fun illustrations and silly animal noises combined with puns will make this a really great read-aloud. And the messages about both trying new things even when you're worried, and not being afraid to be your true self, are good for all us unicorns.

Reviewed for NetGalley. Can't wait to buy several copies for the school library, I know it will be a hit!

I really enjoyed this story, it was fun and had some fabulous drawings!

I liked the story and it was well paced and a lovely relaxed read that made me giggle too

It is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. Can a donkey in a party hat fool everyone at unicorn school into believing she is a unicorn? I bet she can. This book was lots of fun and the illustrations were a wild party. I wish the last page was just a tad different. Instead of changing the name of the school, maybe something like everyone can be a unicorn if they want it. The lesson in the book is inclusion. That lesson comes over well, and the ending does work, I just wish it was a tad different.

I should begin by saying that this is by far one of the cutest and funniest “unicorn” books that I have read with my five-year-old daughter. First Day of Unicorn School is not only funny, but the entire idea of the story is great and imaginative.
In this book we meet Milly who desperately wants to attend Unicorn School. She will do anything to get in, even if it means pretending to be something she is not. In this case, Milly, as we see, is a donkey in a party hat, and NOT an actual unicorn. Luckily, Milly gets to see her dream a reality and gets to go to Unicorn School.
Upon arriving to Unicorn School, Milly arrives and we, as the readers immediately notice something peculiar about all the “unicorns” at the Unicorn School. Milly does not have the best start of school on her first day and just wants to fit in. No matter what she does though, she seems to upset the other unicorns and finally decides maybe Unicorn School is not for her.
Before she leaves though, Milly realizes that she DOES belong at Unicorn School thanks to meeting the rest of the class properly and finding out their own “unicorn secrets.” In the end the differences that each of the “unicorns” have is what makes them each unique and special, and they all DO belong at Unicorn School.
Great book for K-2nd grade with funny and cute illustrations, just the right amount of words for this level and an incredibly fun story for kids. First Day of Unicorn School is wonderfully written, and it is obvious that the author has a background in children’s books.
I gave this book five stars as it exceeded my expectations and I will be reading it again and again to my kids.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet story about dealing with imposter syndrome and finding a place to belong. The illustrations feel like they're right out of a kid's cartoon with their bold colors and zany expressions.

Unicorn books are very popular in the library. This is perfect for a read aloud. Kids will pick up on the different unicorns quickly and will find it funny.

In the fast and dynamic everyday life, we often forget to show our children how important they are. Because of that, it is important that we never forget to hug them and remind them how much we love them, no matter what. The children are not white canvas, so we can paint them the way we want. Each of them is unique, different from all the others. Therefore, the task of this society is to instill understanding and acceptance of every single person around us, regardless of their appearance, race, culture or religion.

In short, this is the main message that everyone will notice when they read this masterfully written book. First Day of Unicorn School by Jess Hernandez simply enchanted me both as a teacher and as a parent, Millie's emotions were almost tangible, the illustrations so gorgeous and appealing,and the story absolutely adorable. And the Unicorn School itself somehow inevitably brought to my mind the already existing education systems in the world. Systems that tend to tailor and change students in order to fit some pre-decided molds and criteria, rather than adapting the systems to embrace children as they are, with all their differences and similarities.

The very use of unicorns as a theme is extremely popular with children, which in the very beginning arouses interest to chose the storybook, the cover is attractive and interesting, and the content simply entices children to drink in every perfectly chosen word and every masterfully incorporated illustration. It leads children to see the differences between themselves and others, to get acquainted with the concept of uniqueness, as something beautiful and positive, and to develop critical thinking about the world around them.

The writing style is so perfect, simple, readable that any child of that age can understand it, and the story is so interesting and profound at the same time. Definitely a book that every parent should own in this modern time.

Milly is a donkey, but she has big dreams! Milly wants to be a unicorn, but there is one problem... she is a donkey! She does everything she can to "fit" in and then realizes that she didn't have to fit in at all.

This is a wonderful book to use when talking to elementary students about social emotional learning and how trying to fit in isn't always the answer.

This book has cute and colorful illustrations that will surely engage children to continue reading. It also tackles about uniqueness, acceptance, diversity, and being oneself that is very important for young children to learn.

This was a super cute read that is perfect for back to school. It could help teach children about inclusivity and how differences make us special. The colorful drawings and sweet story made for a quick and engaging read.

This is a cute book about going to school and being yourself. I think it's a great book for little ones going to school the first time.

Cute little book about being who you are .Don't be pretentious for others sake.Enjoy your individuality.
Beautiful illustrations.

My daughter LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. It was such a great tale about how everyone should embrace who they are and that they are special for being who they are, not what they are.

This is a cute little book about everyone fitting in just the way they are. You don't have to be a unicorn to go to unicorn school, but you can still make "unicorn" friends.

First, I want to thank Jess Hernandez, Capstone and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Jess Hernandez did an incredible job with her debut children’s book First Day of Unicorn School. What little girl or big kid at heart like myself doesn’t just adore unicorns?! She knew just how to attract our attention in that aspect. Well done.

Mariano Epelbaum needs to be commended not only for his amazing cover design but all of the graphics in the book. The colors were bright, bold and just popped out. His graphics just made the story come to life all the more. Infact, there were times his graphics made me crack up!

Jess threw in some very important hidden messages within the pages. Messages that everyone needs to hear this day in age. Even us young at heart. The way she executed it was perfect.

I really do hope that she continues to write children’s books. My other hope is that she sticks with Mariano because he is incredibly talented and they both make a great team together.

I received an electronic ARC from Capstone through NetGalley.
Milly was thrilled to get her invitation to Unicorn School. Unfortunately, Milly is not a unicorn so she faked her photos on the application. In fact, she's a burro. On the first day of school, she makes the discovery that plenty of other animals faked their horns to be part of this class. Love the all inclusive change to the school sign at the end.
Colorful illustrations bring this fun story to life.

A fun story about understanding that everyone has something that makes them special inside of them, even if you're not a unicorn!

The Rona has got us all down, and I say whatever gets you through the pandemic is a-ok; however, my anxiety/stress/depression spending has gotten a taaad out of control, so I’m trying to substitute behaviors for buying something shiny when I feel sad. Enter picture books. Enter, specifically this book. It’s adorable. It’s fun. It has unicorns! And it makes me happy.

Milly is super excited to start unicorn school, but she’s a little worried, because, well, she’s not a unicorn. She’s a donkey in a party hat. She puts on her brave face, however, and heads out for the first day of school. The other kids are initially aloof and cold to Milly, but they might just all have more in common than anyone thinks.

This book is so cute and teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of being yourself. It also has a great message about how we all have more in common than we think, and if we take time to get to know one another, we’ll be great friends.

I really enjoyed this one, and I think your kiddos will, too. A great storytime for the school year (especially now that many kids are participating in #ZoomSchool), it encourages communication. Plus, it’s got a reading and interest level of K-2, so your little ones can read it to you, or you can read it to them. Winwin.

It’s not out until January, but by then, I’m sure we’ll all need a little unicorn smile. So keep an eye out for it.