An earthquake shakes Zoey's house. Or maybe it's a unicorn-quake? An enormous new friend arrives in a lot of pain, and it's getting worse every day. Zoey must work with her mom and Sassafras to find a cure -- and quickly!

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

An enormous baby unicorn appears outside Zoey's house with a cut on its leg. Zoey tries to treat it at first by washing it and using antibacterial cream - but the cut gets worse. What will stop the infection? Zoey designs an experiment, and her scientist mom helps her cook agar and set up petri dishes to figure out how to help the unicorn. ( )

As we have previously established, I am as close as I ever get to being a fan of Zoey and Sassafras. I love the mixture of magic and science, the experiments, the adorable kitty, the diversity, and just the whole thing! Seeing this latest addition to the series inspired me to start planning a Zoey and Sassafras, Magic and Science, program next year where I plant combine unicorn slime and cute crafty caterflies, microscopes and magic!

The quick rundown of the basic plot; Zoey and her mom can see magical creatures, which come to their barn for help. In each book Zoey works on helping a different magical creature using science. Her mom is usually there to help and advise, but Zoey tries most things on her own. She's experimented with removing mold from a monster's fur, what to feed a baby dragon, how to safely melt ice and feed caterflies, and much more.

In this title, we meet what might be the most impressive creature yet - a unicorn! Did you know that unicorns are GIANT? Neither did Zoey! Even though he's just a baby, Tiny is taller than the trees! Tiny has a cut on his leg and Zoey needs to figure out how to safely treat it and keep it from getting infected. Luckily, she and her mom were already experimenting with live cultures, making yoghurt, and they use the same principles to isolate and treat the bacteria in Tiny's injury. The book includes entries in Zoey's journal that walks readers through the experiments and a glossary of science terms in the back.

Verdict: These beginning chapter books are just exactly what I, and my readers, want on so many levels. Kids love to read them on their own, they love the magical creatures, they appeal to kids who love science, and I have many parents who read them aloud as well. I look forward to more adventures from Zoey and Sassafras!

ISBN: 9781943147472; Published October 2018 by Innovation Press; Purchased for the library; Review copy provided for Cybils