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romantic comedy
Series · humor
Thelma the Unicorn
The Thelma the Unicorn series by Aaron Blabey has 2 known books (2 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Thelma the Unicorn (2015).
- Books
- 2 known books (2 novels)
- Published
- 2
- First published
- 2015
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Humour
Start here: Thelma the Unicorn (2015)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Thelma the Unicorn
Aaron Blabey's 2015 picture book Thelma the Unicorn follows an ordinary pony who becomes an overnight sensation after a carrot ties itself to her head and glitter-pink paint spills on her at just the right moment, and who spends the book's 28 pages realizing the fame she thought she wanted is exhausting. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Thelma the Unicorn - Book 2:
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn brought the same cast back four years later, in 2019, for a slightly longer 32-page sequel revisiting the fame-versus-friendship territory of the original. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Return of Thelma the Unicorn
Key facts about the Thelma the Unicorn series
The Thelma the Unicorn series has 2 books on our list. Since all 2 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with Thelma the Unicorn, since it opens the publication order in 2015. The Return of Thelma the Unicorn is book 2, from 2019.
Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 2015 and 2019, while their length runs from 28 to 32 pages. That is a run of 4 years.
Aaron Blabey has 47 books on our list. Additionally, they write Pig the Pug, The Bad Guys and Cat on the Run. We shelve the books under humor.
About the Thelma the Unicorn series
Thelma is an ordinary pony who longs to be a unicorn, and one lucky day a carrot ties itself to her head and a truckload of glitter-pink paint spills on her at just the right moment. Suddenly she's the unicorn of everyone's dreams -- adored, famous, chased by cameras -- and it takes the whole book for Thelma to realize that the attention she thought she wanted is exhausting, and that the friends who liked her before the glitter are the ones who actually matter.
Aaron Blabey plays the fame-and-identity story for warmth as much as laughs: Thelma's storybook transformation is a gentle, kid-legible metaphor for chasing an image instead of being yourself, wrapped in the same bright, big-eyed cartoon style and propulsive rhyme he uses across his picture books. A sequel eight years later, The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, brings back the same cast for a second round of fame-and-friendship complications. The original book was adapted into a Jon M. Chu-produced, Netflix animated musical film released in 2024.
Frequently asked questions
How many Thelma the Unicorn books are there?
Two: Thelma the Unicorn (2015) and The Return of Thelma the Unicorn (2019).
What order should I read Thelma the Unicorn in?
Publication order -- Thelma the Unicorn first, then The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, which continues with the same characters.
Is the Thelma the Unicorn movie based on the books?
The 2024 Netflix animated musical, produced with Jon M. Chu, adapts the premise of the first book -- an ordinary pony mistaken for a unicorn -- with an expanded, music-industry-set story rather than a page-for-page adaptation.
Is Thelma the Unicorn connected to Pig the Pug or The Bad Guys?
No. It's a separate Aaron Blabey picture-book series with its own cast and setting.
If you like the Thelma the Unicorn series
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