Title The Unicorn Alphabet Series --- Author Marianna Mayer Cover Art Michael Hague Illustrations Michael Hague Publisher Children's Book of the Month Club - 2005 First Printing Dial Books - 1989 Category Children Warnings None Main Characters --- Main Elements Unicorns

No one beast has so captured people's imagination as the mysterious unicorn. Inspired by the medieval Unicorn Tapestries, Marianna Mayers has uncovered a wealth of lore and legend associated with this fascinating creature, certain to delight his legion of fans. From A to apple - the fruit of knowledge and, like the unicorn, the symbol of ever-renewing life - to Z for zephyr, the gentle breeze that ruffles the unicorn's mane, this unique collection offers page after page of beautiful flowers, fair knights, proud maidens, magical herbs, and sinister serpents - all part of the unicorn's powerful myth.

As he did in The Unicorn and the Lake, Michael Hague has brought these enchanting legends to life, along with the splendor of medieval courts and the magic of a time when unicorns were real.

I was 28 when I read this book for the first time. Now, before you think that I've suddenly regressed into my childhood one should keep in mind that I am a fan of Michael Hague's work. I think he does a wonderful job catching the magic of the unicorn. A unicorn may be an equine-like creature with a horn, but it is not a horse with a horn. It has cloven hooves, a beard, a lion's tail, and its physical form is almost more that of a deer than a horse. Hague makes the unicorn appear more than just a white horse. He makes it a creature all its own. Ancient, wise and pure. This is what I knew before I bought the book.

After I'd read the book, I found that Marianna Mayer also had the power to capture the unicorn, only this time in words. A beautiful book, filled with legends and lore, a little tidbit of information for every letter of the alphabet. I can see why Marianna Mayer and Michael Hague were described as "the award-winning team", together they weave a beautiful thing. I felt I missed out on this book during my childhood, that I would have loved having it read to me at night. If you have children of your own, I highly recommend making them a gift of this book. I'm sure it is something they'll want read to them over-and-over again. And I suspect that you won't mind doing that one bit.