A book and stuffy combo is always a good idea. When the folks at zoonicorns.com sent us two little Zoonicorns and a storybook, I immediately knew it would be a big hit at home. Flipping through the book and getting to know the Zoonicorns Valeo, Aliel, Ene, and Promithea, I knew that it would be the perfect progression to have the story should come first, then the stuffies come after.
So, that night I offered our daughter the book. She’s 6 years old and still an early-ready for sure. She was able to make it through the story of a young bison named Buffy who is nervous about nights living in a zoo, but is visited by the Zoonicorns in her dreams. Spoiler Alert: the Zoonicorns help her have a good night’s sleep and she awakens with a positive attitude, ready to face the day. My daughter loved the story, and the illustrations are great. She stumbled over some new words like wallowing, flank, and flagrant, but it’s nice to introduce challenging vocabulary. Also rather interesting, was how she simply couldn’t read the Zoonicorn’s names. Why not “Pinkie” or “Buzz,” or something easier or more familiar for kids? I suppose it does make them more exotic, but I’m still not sure if “Ene” is pronounced “Anne” or “Any” or “Een.”
Anyway, she loved the book, and when I presented her with two actual Zoonicorns they were a huge surprise. I explained how the little buffalo in the story had new friends and she could have new friends, too. The next morning… “I had great dreams! My Zoonicorns were with me all night long!” It seems like a silly thing that a story and a new stuffed zebra-unicorn hybrid could result in a happier morning, but yes, six year olds are silly like that, so it worked like a charm. She’s had the Zoonicorns for over a week now and they are solidly her go-to companions at bedtime and in the morning. We’re hoping more books are coming soon to keep the fun going!
You can learn more about the book and the Zoonicorns themselves at www.zoonicorn.com