The Unicorn Handbook

From Carolyn Turgeon, editor in chief of Enchanted Living and author of The Faerie Handbook and The Mermaid Handbook, comes this exquisitely illustrated and beautifully designed lifestyle compendium, a complete guide to the world of unicorns covering fashion and beauty; arts and culture; and home, food, and entertaining with step-by-step crafts and recipes.

Strong, regal, and dazzling, there is no more romantic a creature in both folklore and pop culture than the majestic unicorn. Known for its preference for solitary living in the depths of enchanted and perfumed forests, the unicorn will only occasionally reveal itself to virginal ladies and/or save the day with its magical horn, which is said to neutralize poison when dipped into food or drink.

In medieval times, unicorns were a symbol of chivalry and aristocracy, so it's no surprise that they became the ideal companion for gallant knights, and eventually, the symbol of Jesus in many illuminated bestiaries. They also came to represent unknown danger in the ancient city of Persepolis in 515 BCE, a belief immortalized on the British coat of arms with the unicorn shown as the mighty lion's fiercest opponent. This feud also appears in a traditional English nursery that was the origin of the quarrel between The Lion and the Unicorn in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass.

It wasn't long before a piece of the unicorn's mane, blood, and horn became hot commodity in man's pursuit for immortality. Today, unicorns can be found in modern tales like Harry Potter, television shows like My Little Pony, colorful Lisa Frank-inspired fashion and makeup trends, and must-have food crazes like the Unicorn Frappuccino and bagels.