I am up on the air about this book but the first thing I want to say is that this book has some of the most beautiful Serendipity artwork. Robin does a great job in bring the spirited and young colt to life for you to view while the pictures of him as a unicorn are gorgeous.

This is definitely a book that I would recommend for older children, not younger, and the reason is since I am on the fence for this one as it is a sad one while also not making sense. The young colt ends up disobeying his mother after she told him not to and warned him that his curiosity will get him into trouble while it does so. Unable to save her son she turns around to walk away and the young colt ends up accepting his mother's decision while he isn't also able to help himself due to he injured himself on his misadventure.

In a Devil's bargain the young horse is given his life back but he must change who he is and in doing so also give up those he loves as he is banned into the world of dreams. Not wanting to die he takes in the decision while is healed and change then walks away as his mother watches on.

But as I sit here thinking whether this could be a good book or a bad book while reading the other reviews I find myself thinking it may be good but complicated. Even though she turns around and leaves her son to his fate the mother was still there to see his change....

And yet as I was explaining this to my sister the meaning of this book became very clear it is the loss of a child to conditions that cannot be helped - murder, medical conditions, natural causes, etc. We look upon the mother as turning her back on a child and yet she is there when he is changed.

What can a parent do when their hands are tied as they are watching their child silently suffer and die form cancer? When they fall victim to the beasts of the city that feed on young innocent souls? Or that are taken from the world at too early of a time? It is a beautiful story when taken into the perspective but also a painfully sad one.

In this case the book best fits the collection of "Frazzle", "Squabbles" and "Crickle-Crack". Best read when older or when the child is ready to talk about a subject that would otherwise be hard to approach. ( )