Marigold Heavenly Nostrils may be my new favorite thing. The chemistry between Marigold the unicorn and her human, Phoebe is fantastic! These are funny, flawed and exceptionally entertaining female characters. More please!

Unicorn on a Roll is book #2 in the Heavenly Nostrils series by Dana Simpson. Book two picks up when Phoebe and her unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, have been best friends now for a year.

From Goodreads.com:
In this second volume of Heavenly Nostrils the reader is invited on a journey into the lives of Phoebe and Marigold as they navigate the difficulties of grade school, celebrate the winter holidays, and explore their superhero/supervillain personas together. Join in the fun, as Phoebe competes against Dakota for the leading role of “Lisa Ladybug” in their fourth-grade play—or as she struggles to “manage” the PR debacle related to her nose-picking-scandal. (“I will neither confirm nor deny the events surrounding Boogergate.”) Witness a band of unicorns staging an “intervention” and learn all the details of Marigold’s secret crush on a mysterious creature she has never seen. Perhaps most important, watch as this surprising friendship between a charming, nine-year-old dreamer and a vain, mythical beast forever changes both of them for the better.

The book is appropriate for the younger set, middle graders and up mostly, though some upper elementary might enjoy it as well. It's funny enough and has enough good humor for even adults to enjoy it. The cartoon has been compared to Calvin and Hobbes.

One example of the humor is a 4 panel page on p.42 with Phoebe discussing with her father what to get Marigold for Christmas. Phoebe: I just know Marigold is going to get me something incredible for Christmas. She's my best friend and I want to get her something special too. Dad: Well, What does she like? Phoebe: Mostly herself.
Dad: And she has one of those already. Phoebe: You see my problem. It's really a cute book. It would be fun to share with younger children, but it's also enjoyable on your own as an adult. I am planning to share it with my adult daughter who I think could use a laugh.

I gave this book 4 stars for the art, the humor, the continuity, and the general plot that it follows.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This review appears on my blog as well as at Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1193685562

Links to the review were released on Google +, Facebook, and Twitter.

Phoebe, a rough-and-tough fourth grader, recently met a narcissistic unicorn named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. She was granted a single wish and used this wish to force Marigold to be her friend. Unicorn on a Roll is the second book in this series.

The comics follow Phoebe and Marigold on a variety of adventures, both short and long in length, from Phoebe's experience with a school play, her trials with a crush and a school bully, and Marigold's Valentine card mixup. The themes are sometimes hilarious (like make sure no one is watching if you pick your nose!). other times chock full of good advice (you can't force someone to be your friend), and sometimes both at the same time!

Fans of Calvin and Hobbes will love Unicorn on a Roll because of the imaginative tales of friendship. Phoebe and Calvin are both mischievous and exhibit intelligence and wisdom beyond their ages. Hobbes and Marigold, while different in terms of personality, often serve as companions who either help the children get into or out of trouble. The main difference between the two series is that Phoebe's parents are young at heart and Marigold is not a figment of Phoebe's imagination, so she can actually be seen by others.

I feel as if the format would be easier to read if the longer comics were sequential rather than being split up by shorter one-page comics. Sometimes I became confused when flipping back and forth between the stories.

What is it about?
This comic book follows the lives of 4th grade girl Phoebe and her best friend Marigold, who happens to be a unicorn!

This is technically "book 2" of the "Heavenly Nostrils" series but I hadn't read book 1 and totally felt like I knew what was going on.

The book shows 1-2 page stories / scenes that span over the course of a year, so we start with stories set in winter and end in summer. The individual 1-2 page scenes can stand alone, but there is also a sense of continuity throughout the book.

About the artwork:
*Super* cute artwork. Very well-drawn, in a cute cartoony style I really liked and it's all in color which was great too!

About the characters:
Really sweet, loveable characters. I loved the little details too like how Marigold the unicorn wears legwarmers in winter :)
I also had a soft spot for the eccentrically funny unicorn, "Lord Splendid Humility" who reminded me a little of Wilson from Home Improvement because you never actually get to see him apart form the top of his head.

About the humour:
I LOVED the sense of humour in this comic book! Genuinely made me smile and chuckle throughout. It's cute and funny and it's nice-humour (as opposed to mean-humour which you sometimes find in comics).

Other comic books this reminded me of:
As I was reading this, it reminded me a little of the "Big Nate" comic series that I also really liked - although the latter is more targeted for boys whereas the Heavenly Nostrils is perhaps more targeted at girls, though both genders will probably enjoy both.

Overall:
I *loved* this comic book. It's funny and cute and beautifully drawn - just perfect!

After-read thoughts:
I am so in love with this.
I spent the last week going around and telling literally everyone I met I'm reading a book about unicorns that read through osmosis and they were all " This is so freaking cool! I've always wanted to be a unicorn!". Yup, reading via osmosis is every student's dream.
But I am speeding up too much. To put everything in order: few things you should know - 1) this is a comic stips book, 2)it follows the daily life of Phoebe and the Unicorn Marigold Heavenly Nostrils and 3) it is absolutely awesome. Both Phoebe and Marigold are such sweet characters, the perfect mix of girly, adventurous and dorky that is impossible not to love. And not only the main duo is worth the praise - I loved each and every character in the book. Phoebe's parents were one of the best things in the book, but also Max (the spelling partner and maybe something more?), Dacota the arch-enemy, and most definitely Marigold's timid Valantine ( a unicorn so humble he will feel so badly for showing off if we even speak his name here!) - they all built such a wonderful background.
While meant for younger audience and featuring a 4th grader and her life and worries, the book is by far reliable and enjoyable for all ages. Maybe different ages will appreciate different bits of the humour and the situations, but everyone will find something to love and to make him smile. It was such a wonderful tale, bringing together all of the modern daily life (technology + unicorn = awesome) and the important things - friendship, family and spending time sometimes to gaze the night sky.

Since it is a comic book, few words for the art are due. I absolutely loved it. It is simple, adorable and full-colour beauty. Marigold's design I enjoyed the most, especially the scenes where she was wearing something -it's as cute as it gets! And yes, those rollers are fascinating :D

And just when you think it just can't get any better, with all the unicorns, the osmosis and all the lines I want to quote... here comes the unicorn poop cookies recepe. Now my life is full. I am so making those. Just give me a free weekend and I will be handling those cookies everywhere. Along with a recommendation of course, to basically everyone. 9 to 12 is such an underestimation. If you're awesome enough, you're bound to like this book. 5 stars, multicolour and sparkling like a unicorn trail.

Review posted on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1223129959) and blog

Beautiful lively drawings! Great for kids dealing with emotional issues and bullying.

Another great addition to the Heavenly Nostrils adventures! I will continue to read these (and love them) as long as they come out!

I love this series. I read both books twice within 3 days. "Phoebe and Her Unicorn" is like a female "Calvin & Hobbes", but I'd venture to say Phoebe and Marigold are even funnier than Calvin and Hobbes. Despite the sparkly, pink and purple covers, the comics actually have universal appeal and would be just as funny to boys as to girls. (My husband probably like the series even more than I do, and literally laughs out loud while reading them.) I wish the covers weren't quite so stereotypically girly, because the comics themselves aren't nearly so frou-frou.

If you haven't started reading "Phoebe and Her Unicorn" yet, start now. You won't regret it.

Every little girl's wish (no matter her physical location or education) is having a unicorn, in fact most of them are unicorn obsessed. I still have traces of that obsession myself although I'm no longer a little girl. It will be easy for them to relate to Phoebe and Marigold (a relation that reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes) One of the cutest Graphic novels ever.

It was incredible, funny, and sarcastic as hell. It's like a dessert designed for kids but also made for adults. I don't think it is more suitable for adults then kids, I guess it takes a little bit of maturity to understand all of sarcasm. But still, I think kids would love to read about a little girl and a unicorn.

It's really funny, and so "up to date" with what's going on in the life of pre-teens, and it's "working", by that I mean that the young girl is not popular or gorgeous by regular standard. She doesn't change, she just made a unicorn friend, and their friendship is really natural, not forced or anything.

What a great successor to Calvin and Hobbes! Precocious child with an imaginary creature is such a hard genre to break into, but Simpson does it very well. I look forward to when my daughter is older and I'm able to share a great comic strip with her. Bonus points for some of the best girl-centric storylines I've seen in a strip, because G.R.O.S.S. might not go over well as my kid gets older.

*I received a copy of this book from Net Galley/the publisher for free. This does not affect my review*

I loved this book. I am recommending it to everyone who loves snark and everyone with a daughter.

I had the absolute pleasure of reading this adorable middle grade graphic novel by Dana Simpson. Unicorn on a Roll is the modern Calvin and Hobbes, with girls and unicorns.

Aside from being hilarious and featuring amazing comic style art, this book draws on some great adult nostalgia (and I’m not just referring to Calvin and Hobbes)

I absolutely love children’s books that are as much for the parents as they are for this kids. And Simpson’s book is totally for everyone. Boy, girl, child, adult, grandparent, it doesn’t matter you will love this book.

We’re moved through the story by holidays and seasons, and I’m pretty sure my favorite was the Valentine’s Day mix-up. All of the stories have an air of maturity, heavily influenced by the eyes of a child.

I’m so in love with this book I gave it five stars five times! The humor is smart, the characters build off of each other, and punchlines never stop. I, seriously, laughed on every page.

The only downside you are going to have right now is that it is not available until May 26th, 2015, but believe me, you’re going to want to pick this up.

Extremely funny and witty; several stories of a little girl named Phoebe and her bestfriend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, a unicorn. The artwork is really great! For fans of this type of comic, I highly recommend it!

With a title like this and a definitely feminine heroine, you may assume this book is targeted at girls - you’re wrong! The main characters are Phoebe, a self confessed nerd who met the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, after Phoebe accidentally threw a stone in Marigold’s face! Other characters include Max, who Phoebe really likes and another unicorn, Lord Splendid Humility, who Marigold has never fully seen but still has a crush on.

This delightful comic adventure story is hilarious, beautifully illustrated, easy to relate to and great entertainment. Although not actually divided into chapters or stories, there are a variety of events related, from problems at school, jokes, getting up to mischief, auditioning for the school play, unicorn birthday party and others. The events are easy to relate to, the text generally humorous and the whole book appealing. After the end of the story there are three extras - the first shows how the illustrator draws both characters to show different expressions, complete with annotations to explain them. After that there’s a recipe for making “Sparkly, Colourful Unicorn Poop Cookies!” and finally illustrated instructions to make an origami ‘Happy Horse’ head. My congratulations to the author and publisher, too, for actually presenting the text in a format children will be able to read (for once I’ve not got to plead for the text not to be in block capitals!) I believe the author is correct when, in her introduction, she makes it clear that it is for anyone and everyone “girl, boy, child, adult - Phoebe and her Unicorn is for YOU.”

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cute. Funny. Witty. Clever. This is something people of all ages can enjoy. It's like a Calvin and Hobbes, but for the next generation. Illustrations are fantastic. I just couldn't get enough of this!

Absolutely hilarious, very clever, and totally unique! A book that will take readers of all ages by surprise as it is not your regular unicorn story. This collection of comic strips celebrates the unusual friendship between a nine year old human by the name of Phoebe and a rather vain unicorn called Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. The episodes are to laugh out loud and at the same time heart-warming as the unusual pair shows that the smaller and bigger troubles of everyday life are dealt with so much easier when you have a loyal friend by your side. My only concern is that some of the humor might be lost on younger readers.

I loved this book so much! To my mind it's superior to many of the current graphic novels for young readers. Phoebe is written like a real kid, her parents less of the idiot stereotypes we tend to see in comic strips.

Absolutely a blast to read. I read it to my daughter who enjoyed it very much and laughed several time.

Hilarious. Relatable characters with humour that will appeal to older readers as well

'Unicorn on a Roll' is the second collection of webcomics from the 'Phoebe and Her Unicorn' series by Dana Simpson. It was my introduction to the series and I found it kind of fun.

For those not in the know, Phoebe accidentally finds a unicorn when she skips a rock on a pond and hits one in the head. The unicorn is named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils and she is a bit vain. Over the course of this book, we learn about Marigold's fashion sense, and her ability to rollerskate. We see Phoebe's relationship with her parents and her nemesis Dakota. Marigold gets a crush on fellow unicorn Lord Splendid Humility, who must hide to display his splendid humility. Phoebe is in a spelling bee and celebrates Valentine's Day and attends a swell unicorn party with Marigold.

It's a comic about a unicorn and a little girl, and probably the last thing I would normally read, but something about the cover looked like fun. I'm glad I took a chance on it. The art and humor is sweet without being cloyingly so. Phoebe is just a normal kid and not a sparkly princess or obnoxiously sweet, or any of stereotypical tropes that that this kind of character might have. I really liked her. Marigold is vain, but kind. All of this is explained much, much better in the foreword by Lauren Faust, writer, director and producer of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I really enjoyed it and will be recommending it to some parents I know. It would be a fun comic to read on family road trips this Summer.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange fo an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this really fun graphic novel.

This will be a good fit for our library. It will be nice to have a cartoon book that's a little more "girly" than Calvin. And, of course, there's the asset of having the kids think that they aren't really reading because it's a cartoon book. Definitely on the to-buy list.

Fans of graphic novels will enjoy reading the graphic novel Unicorn on a Roll by Dana Simpson. The hilarious tale of a friendship between a unicorn and a young girl will have readers chuckling along as they read. Having not read the first in the series, these novels can be read as a series or are wonderful as stand alone reads. The book is enhanced with additional reading material at the end, such as, a recipe, an arts and crafts page, and a sketch page.

Fantastic! Funny and smart! It reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes for its combination of intelligent observation and childlike wonder!

I am so glad that I browsed Netgalley and found this title. I love Phoebe and her unicorn. Let me count the ways!
1) Phoebe is a smart, strong, unique little girl. She doesn't allow bullies to make her rethink who she is, and she is just so quirky. 2) Heavenly Nostrils is the epitome of unicorn perfection. She is beautiful, knows she is beautiful, and will tell you she is beautiful. She cracks me up. 3) This reminds me of a Calvin/Hobbes, Mal/Chad, Salem Hyde/Whammy relationship. They are just so perfect for each other. 4) I want Phoebe and Big Nate to meet. I think they'd be awesome friends. 5) Dana Simpson does what I heard Frank Cammuso talk about that he does with his Salem Hyde books: Each page is a part of a whole story, but is also a comic strip within itself. Each page has a punch line or a theme. Love this! Makes reading so much fun.

I loved book #2 so much that as soon as I finished, I went and got #1 from my library. You will not regret picking up this GN :)

Another great entry in this series! Phoebe continues to win me over with her interactions with family, friends, enemies and of course Marigold the Unicorn.

I haven't had a chance to read in but my 7 year old daughter loved it and is carrying it around to share with all her friends.

Absolutely loved this! Phoebe kind of reminded me of a less butch Peppermint Patty. The thing I liked most about her character is that she came across as a kid - not noticeably masculine or feminine. So I think this book would appeal to a wide audience - boys and girls - although it might take a little work to sell it to certain boys because of the whole beautiful sparkly unicorn angle. But it’s super-funny throughout, which will help in recommending it to lots of different kinds of readers - in my experience, humor is always a win. I think this series would do particularly well with readers who have enjoyed books like Babymouse and Fashion Kitty. I really wish I had read this a couple weeks ago, because I had a gal in the library that I think would have really gone for it. She wasn’t a big reader, but liked comics. This kind of book is perfect for reluctant readers because it’s funny, and because (while there are a couple overarching plot lines) a lot of the book is one-page jokes. Even the overarching plot lines are primarily made up of single-page jokes, which makes it unintimidating and easy to swallow. I think I may get multiple copies of this book for my library, because I think I’ll be recommending it liberally.

ps - I completely loved the recipe at the end for “Magical Unicorn Poop” cookies, and I totally want to make them!!

This was so. Much. Fun. Honestly I did not expect this book to be that amazing. The story was well-written, the characters wonderful and the writing was on point. This was by far one of the funniest book I've read this year! We need more middle-grade books like that!

Kids will absolutely love this story! It's full of fun, fantasy, and friends. I personally found the unicorn a little obnoxious but every kid knows someone like that.

Cute, well written story and great read for youngsters.