How to Host a Unicorn Receives the Literary Titan Gold Book Award

I’m happy to share some good news:

How to Host a Unicorn: A Tale of Hospitality & Manners has received a Gold Book Award from Literary Titan, recognizing its storytelling, creativity, artistry, and contribution to children’s literature. 💛

Strange Origins…

How to Host a Unicorn began in an odd way. I was writing a scene for Simply Dag when Dag Hammarskjöld goes to Sochi to visit Nikita Khrushchev. Nikita behaved rather boorishly and, as one example, he took Dag out in a rowboat to castigate him regarding the Swedish Academy’s decision to select Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago for a literary Nobel Prize.

Nikita wasn’t known for his couth. In June 1961, Khrushchev was likewise brash with President John F. Kennedy, making off-color remarks that Berlin was like a sensitive body part that he could squeeze in order to force Kennedy to bend to his will. JFK asked the interpreter if Nikita was always so crass, and the interpreter essentially said, “Yeah, pretty much.”

As is often the case with creatives, I thought, “This could be a story all its own. It could truly be a teachable moment in how not to behave. How not to host a unicorn like Dag.”

Et bon voilà! How to Host a Unicorn was born.

Why This Book Matters

In this G-rated version, Dag the Unicorn visits his boisterous friend, Nick the Bear. Nick is extroverted, exuberant, and noisy. He assumes that Dag will enjoy a wild ride where he stands up and rocks the boat—literally. Or that Dag will be thrilled by a loud surprise party with other animals who tear Nick’s living room apart.

In a culture that often celebrates “bigger, louder, and faster,” I wanted to write a children’s book that, using some sly humor, says:

• It’s okay to like structure.
• It’s okay to need calm.
• It’s possible to be a good host without overwhelming your guest.

You can purchase How to Host a Unicorn: A Tale of Hospitality & Manners on Amazon in ebook or paperback formats here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXYGMZHX.

To learn more about the How to… with a Unicorn series, please visit https://dagtheunicorn.com/.

I am proud to be a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.