Beatrix and the Unicorn centers around a medieval unicorn tapestry and has a fairy-tale arc: A lonely servant girl, because of her kindness and bravery, overcomes obstacles and draws friends to herself.
Barefoot and dressed in rags, Beatrix sadly but faithfully does her chores each day. Her only joy is sweeping the great hall, where an enormous woven tapestry hangs. "When she approached, the shimmering threads of the tapestry's garden caught the light, and the unicorn at its center smiled at her like a friend." Needing a friend to love and be loved by, she goes in quest of a real unicorn.
Of course, there is nothing easy about being alone in the dark in the woods without even warm clothing or shoes. Because the story is for three-to-five-year-old readers, the dangers remain only hints. Beatrix wonders nervously what might be lurking in the woods, while a gentle housecat has followed her from the castle, keeping an eye on her.
Along the way, she keeps discovering creatures more frightened or hurt than she is. She does not hesitate to console and help them. Young readers, in turn, will feel the comfort of her kindness.
The story culminates with a unicorn encounter and with what Beatrix discovers when this mystical vision disappears. In both text and image, this story's emphasis on qualities of beauty, gentleness, and love give it an enduring appeal.
As a child, award-winning author and illustrator Lita Judge imagined a life "where I would live in a little red house in the middle of New England with animals to love and stories to write. And that’s what I’m doing. The reality is every bit as fun as the dream!" We are grateful to her and to the creatures who inspire her for this heartening tale.
