Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater

I've been thrilled to follow the series of <i>Phoebe and Her Unicorn</i>, especially with such endearing characters like Phoebe, Marigold, Max, Phoebe's parents, Sue from camp, and even Dakota, Phoebe's "frenemy." While most of the books are actually collections of the 4-panel comics, <i>Unicorn Theater</i> is actually the second graphic novelization of an over-arcing story. This is simply a different format to enjoy a much longer story, and this one involves Marigold's sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils, and the test of friendship.

Much like other books in the series, I would highly recommend <i>Unicorn Theater</i> for both young readers and older readers to enjoy, especially if they can enjoy reading it together. All readers will appreciate the adorable and humorous antics of the characters while also learning more about the importance of communication and being honest with others, particularly with our family and friends.

The adventures of Phoebe and Marigold her Unicorn are very well written and pleasant to read. I like it had the friendship story in it. This book is comic book form and goes very smoothly. It would hold a childs interest and has humor and gives you things to talk about with your child. I feel this book is good for age 5 and up., even adults could read it and enjoy it. I love books who also spark a childs imagination with the unicorns and dragons. Her friends Max (who is kind of shy), and Sue (who is overconfident) have different personalities which add to the story because they each remind you of someone you know. The addition of Florence, Marigold's sister who had a spider on the nose problem was a nice treat. I am definately going to get more in this series as my Granddaughter would love the books.

I have read every title of Phoebe and Her Unicorn and still have not been disappointed once. I especially liked how this one felt more like a complete story rather than separate panels and that her camp friend made another reappearance!
Super fun and always a great recommendation to my young patrons looking for something light and whimsical.

This book felt really short, but it actually wasn't. Maybe it's because of how much I enjoyed it and thus burned through it. Like all of the Phoebe and her Unicorn series, this was well illustrated and the characters remain true to themselves. Phoebe and Marigold have come a long way, but they still maintain their original voices and personalities.

What I loved about this volume is that it presented a single story arc and didn't really deviate from it. This was more of a graphic novel than most of the other 7 volumes. At the same time, I think this is what made the book seem so short. When the previous volumes told the story with a series of shorter bursts of comics, tied together, it felt like there was more meat.

It's also another summer volume where we get all of the campers and their respective creatures. Just missed Dakota and her goblin. A lot, because Dakota is just so mean.

All in all, I'll be buying this one when it's released for my kids to read. And so that we have it as part of our ongoing collection. Yay!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

**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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 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.

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.

3.5 scripted stars

Again summer has come and vacations in the world of Phoebe and her friend Marigold the Unicorn. This is a series with a lot of fantasy and imagination, where one could say that those imaginary friends that many had as children here are diverse beings that coexist daily with parents, school tasks as well as games, internet and friendships. In this story, we return again to a single linear story, unlike the presentation form of comic strips of other deliveries.

Phoebe goes to a drama summer camp and has made plans with Sue, her friend from the musical camp by the lake, in fact, Marigold is looking forward to the occasion, but Marigold seems to be more concerned and anxious about the arrival of his sister Florence and spending time with her.

image

With this way of traveling, the Unicorns now made me wondering after really Otherworldly origin! heh.

Yep. Well, our litle Phoebe seems to been in the border of teens in some vignettes and the green monster is out . And it's not Ringo

Glad to see again Max .

It's a fluffly, and easy going tale about friendship , sisters, and maybe not be selfish?

+The Art is clean and simple.

*One thing I really miss: her love for books and reading.

*I like the final part of the book that teach how to draw the characters.


+Digital arc gently provided by Netgalley and publishers. The thoughts are all mine, bad grammar included

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.

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!

I love this graphic novel series so much!!
The stories are always so much fun and the themes of friendship that run through them is just heartwarming. As usual with this series there are some laugh out loud moments that come from both the writing and the illustrations.

Phoebe goes to drama camp while Marigold visits her sister. The two don't really get to spend a lot of time together because Marigold is so busy trying to repair the relationship with her sister.
This book seems shorter than the others in the Heavenly Nostrils series. There was really only one story line which was good but, again, short.

Three stories
This book comes out October 23
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

How are these books consistently so freaking adorable?

This is not a collection of strips, as most of the previous books have been. This is one story, wherein Phoebe goes off to drama camp and feels neglected by Marigold, who has recently reconnected with her sister. Who, thankfully, no longer sneezes spiders from her nostrils.

This is a fantastic story for young children dealing with best friends who may be distracted by other people, be it siblings or friends. It's cute and funny with a sweet message and a play that would make Lin-Manuel Miranda proud.

The interspecies gal pals are back for another fun story, this time taking place at drama camp. The addition of Marigold’s sister Florence—now with 100% less nostril spiders—only increases the fun, although there are times Phoebe feels left out. I sense a lesson coming. . .
As always plenty of fave moments:
“I am very dead!” Something said at least once every play. Check out the beginning of Zootopia to prove my point.
Double unicorn stare. Those are the worst.
“Real life not dramatic enough for you?” Thanks, dad.
Whenever someone says, “Awkward!” reply with, “I find all social interactions awkward!”. . . on second thought, don’t.
Yep, that’s what “mess hall” means, alright.
“I could not hear you over the sound of how beautiful I am.” So using this line. . .
Very happy to see the electric dragon back. Max needed a fantasy buddy; even Dakota has one.
If I could give this an even higher mark, I would give it just for rhyming pomegranate.
“‘Nostrils Sisters’ sounds like a band my moms would like.” With such great choices, Max might be my fave of all. . .
A few pages at the end teach how to draw the characters; if Sue’s a little scary, good job!
I couldn’t believe it when the first full-length story ended up being better than the strips, but it works here again.
4.5 pushed up to 5/5

Phoebe and Marigold are headed to drama camp for the summer. Phoebe is all excited to have a play she wrote performed and to spend time at camp with Marigold. But then Marigold invites her sister, Florence, to come too. Marigold seems to be spending all her time with Florence instead of Phoebe, which makes Phoebe a bit miffed. Some heart to heart conversations with Marigold and Florence help Phoebe realize why the two sisters need some time together and how important Phoebe is to Marigold, which inspires Phoebe, Sue (and Ringo), and Max (and Voltina) in what to perform for their summer camp play.

This is a full graphic novel instead of just a collection of comics featuring Phoebe and Marigold. I like the messages about talking out differences instead of assuming things, dealing with jealousy, the importance of considering others’ feelings, and realizing that siblings can be great friends. And of course, it’s also a great friend story. I really like seeing Sue, Ringo, Max, and Voltina again, and meeting Florence was fun too. I know this will be eagerly devoured the moment the copies we’ve ordered arrive at our school. So very many love Phoebe and Marigold, and this is another very satisfying adventure with them.

No content issues.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Per Usual, Dana Simpson delivers an absolutely adorable tale of Phoebe and Marigold. I love how she gives her reader words they may not normally encounter. I've had parents come into my library and tell me how their child is using these "new" words in everyday conversations. which ultimately leads to me requesting all of the other books in the series. I really enjoy Phoebe's wit and her level of comfort being a bit of an outsider. Simpson allows Phoebe to be transparent with her feelings, good or bad. It encourages young girls to have positive social interaction and have an opportunity to live through Phoebe's mistakes and ultimately her triumphs over every day situation. Did I mention how awesome the illustrations are? Beautiful and pretty simple to replicate thanks to her drawing how-to's at the end of every book! I can't count the number of Marigold pictures we get when the girls bring their books back! I can't wait to get our copy from our distributor, we already have 25 holds on it (that's a lot for our small library, we have 13,500 ppl in our city). I truly enjoyed this one and I can't wait for the next! Hurry Hurry Hurry!

My daughter (age 8) has all of the "Phoebe and Her Unicorn" series 1-7, and I thought it would be fun for her to read #8 here. Her review is as follows:

"My favorite part was when Florence talked to Phoebe because it was interesting because it was like Phoebe and Marigold talking to each other."

From my end, there's the same great illustrations and same fun back-and-forth between Marigold and Phoebe. I love Phoebe's sense of humor and Marigold's self-centeredness. My daughter will stay up past her bedtime reading these books one after another, and they opened up her interest in reading pretty much everything. We both can't wait to have this book added to our collection on the shelf!

This eight-volume is about the test of friendship between Phoebe and her unicorn, Marigold. Phoebe needs to go to a drama camp and she will be busy with the activities she was there, so Marigold thought that it is the best for her and her sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils, to spend time with each other. As Marigold spends a lot of time with Florence and lesser time Phoebe, Phoebe felt that she's being neglected by her friend.

The story in this installment teaches everyone that communication is the key to better understand each other. If we could have time for our friends, we should also set time to spend with our family which is also reminded in the story. Lastly, we could be much happier if we learn to share what we have because we could express our love through it.

This is the first Phoebe and Her Unicorn volume I have read. I think I found a new favourite. I'll also be recommending this to the librarian who orders children's books for my library.

Although I received a copy in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own.

Phoebe has been a favorite in our house for YEARS and when I found out I was getting a copy of the newest installment to review, I was psyched.

You don't need to have read the previous books to read this one and you don't need to be a fan of unicorns to understand why Marigold is amazing. You just need to have eyes to be able to see or someone else who can read them to you.

These comics are simply amazing. From my nine year old daughter to my thirty-something year old self, these books keep us all entertained. You can read a page at a time or binge on 40. This is one series that gets my dyslexic 11 year old reading. It has been an amazing addition to our library since we found book one. I will buy this one as soon as it hits shelves.

Not only do I recommend this book to others, but I have actually told strangers looking at these books in the store to just buy it because they are that good. We absolutely LOVE Marigold and Phoebe in our house and will continue to buy every adventure as long as Dana writes and draws them into life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing these wonderful characters to us!

Phoebe and her unicorn are at it again! In this installment, Marigold Heavenly Nistrils is cisited by her sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils. Unfortunate because she usually has spiders in her nose—not sure why unicorns are so preoccupied with nostrils, but it is funny.

For the first time, Phoebe finds Marigold pulling away from her and spending more time with her sister. She begins to miss her and appreciate Marigold’s great qualities. Phoebe also learns about air travel via rainbow pods, which is pretty cool.

Phoebe connects with Florence and realizes that Marigold has been repairing their relationship after a falling out. Florence also praises Phoebe’s relationship with Marigold as it has made Marigold a much better friend to others. Unicorns are apparently incredibly vain and self-absorbed, and showing Marigold learning to care about others was a good message to young readers.

During this time, Phoebe is away at drama camp where she makes a new friend, reconnects with an old friend, and tries to develop a performance piece. The friends decide to perform a piece created by Marigold and Florence to honor them.

I really liked this book. I loved the illustrations, especially the beautiful ombré backgrounds on nearly every page. The story is also really cute. It’s sweet to see the relationship between Phoebe and Marigold and it’s funny to see how vain unicorns are and the fun of their magical existence. This would be a good choice for fans if Phoebe and Marigold or for pre-teen girls in general.
Special thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest opinion.

We haven't read this series yet but my daughter loves unicorns so thought she would give this book a try. It was such a cute story and adorable photos. My daughter thought some of the parts were hilarious but it also had a good lesson about family/friendship. I want to get her all the previous ones for Christmas now.

Another fun book in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series! This one is a graphic novel, that is, not one-shot kind of comics that the series is known for.
I especially loved that Marigold’s sister makes an appearance and that Phoebe meets up with her camp friend Sue.
It’s always a delight to read a Phoebe and Her Unicorn book.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn continues to be an entertaining series for children. I adore the art style and quirky characters. My daughter and I love each new installment. Thanks Andrew McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

I love this series. It is entertaining and gets kids coming back for more! I sell this series every chance I get as it turns reluctant readers into avid readers!