That's Not My Unicorn...
The most varied set of patches in the series—glittery horn, silky mane, fuzzy tail—so it holds a two-year-old who has worn the animal titles out, on a sentence frame they can already recite.
That's Not My Unicorn... by Fiona Watt is estimated to take about 3.5 minutes to read aloud (90 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 0-3.
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- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 3.5 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 90Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 4/5repeat friendly
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 0-3Our editorial fit
Our review
This book provides a wide variety of tactile experiences, including glittery and silky textures. The diverse patches keep the sensory engagement high, which helps maintain the interest of older toddlers.
Using a familiar sentence frame allows children to engage with the content even if they are just starting to recognize words. It is a great option for kids who need more variety in their touch-and-feel books.
Before you buy it
The glitter patches on this book tend to shed a bit. It’s probably not the best fit for a little one who still likes to mouth their books.
Themes
- textures
- unicorns
- adjectives
- first books
Books like That's Not My Unicorn...
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
That's Not My Dinosaur...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
That's Not My Puppy...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
That's Not My Truck...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Pat the Bunnyabout 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Baby Touch and Feel: Animalsabout 3 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read That's Not My Unicorn... aloud?
About 3.5 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 90. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is That's Not My Unicorn... actually for?
Ages 0-3 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does That's Not My Unicorn... survive being read on repeat?
Yes. It survives a fortnight of nightly repeats, which is the real test.
Is That's Not My Unicorn... a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise That's Not My Unicorn...?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 4 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read That's Not My Unicorn... on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (2 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
Is That's Not My Unicorn... part of a series?
Yes, it belongs to the That's Not My series. It stands on its own, so you can start here without reading the others in order, then move to the rest if it lands.
What themes does That's Not My Unicorn... cover?
We tag it with textures, unicorns, adjectives and first books. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
