My daughter loves unicorns and mermaids the same as most little girls so I guessed that this one would be a hit with her - and it certainly was!

The illustrations in the book are wonderful and they do a great job bringing the story to life.

I thought that the story was well written and it was a fun read - the underlying messages about not burning yourself out and taking rests is a message needed for quite a few adults as well as children too as I know I have often felt like that - its a positive ending

I have already recommended that a colleague at work gets a copy for his daughter Esme too :)

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

This book does not appear to be available for purchase anymore. Thus I do not have a review for it and have not posted to any retail sites, as it’s unavailable for review on them. Thank you.

This story was so sweet! It demonstrated how unlikely friends can join together for a common mission. It also showed readers how they can ask for help when they are stuck in a problem. The illustrations were colorful and eye catching, drawing myself and my youngest reader into the story further. Thank you to NetGalley and Windmill Books for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

The pictures here were great but the message behind the story went way over the heads of the children who enjoyed them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team who have lent me a copy of the book for review.

This is a fun tale of a unicorn who over works herself. She grants wishes from children and never takes a day off. It cause her to lose her magical powers and go on an adventure to get them back…with a mermaid friend. My daughter liked the book; she’s almost 3.

Recommend to families with little girls!

ARC reader for NetGalley

Any mermaid or unicorn loving little will enjoy this read. Orla the unicorn loves granting wishes, but she never takes a rest. One day her magic goes away! How will she get it back? A book about the importance of rest, self care and having fun to keep your sparkle in tip top shape.

My daughters and I loved this! The unicorn taking an adventure into the ocean was unique. I loved the message too.

The illustrations are gorgeous. My daughter loved the colors and all! Definitely will recommend to others.

What a lovely picture book, conveying a message that will resonate with both children and adults!

In The Unicorn and the Mermaid, the unicorn Orla starts to lose her powers, which she has to use to grant kids wishes—it's so important to her to do so that she never takes a day's rest…

Could this be why her magic is weakening?

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I really loved this picture book. It's very cute and light-hearted.

The illustrations, made by Héloïse Mab, are gorgeous, colourful and with little details to spot. I highly appreciated the fact that the mermaid is black, too.

Charming book that I can only recommend!

A book for the very young that turns out to be about burnout, of all things. Orla the magical, wish-granting unicorn, finds her mojo gone one day, and a child stuck without his favourite kite. Calling on a mermaid for help we also go right to the bottom of the sea, almost risibly, to see the reason why Orla's gift has gone. Bright, bright colours, and just a sentence of two per page make this a very accessible volume, and the moral can be used to indicate the need for a balanced life, but don't come to this thinking this is a standard picture book with a typical basis. A generous four stars.

This was a charming children's picture book. I thought the story was simple and easy to read, while still being very fun and entertaining. The illustrations were bold, colourful, and lovely to look at. If you have small children who enjoy stories about unicorns, or mermaids, or indeed both, I think they would really like this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

The Unicorn and the Mermaid by Claire Philip and illustrated by Héloïse Mab is a delightful picture book with an important message that is sure to resonate with children and adults alike.
Mab's beautiful and colourful illustrations are perfect for Philip's story of a magical creature who grants children's wishes seeking help from another magical creature to solve the problem of why her powers have failed her. It's a story about the importance of asking for help from friends, and of taking time for oneself to rest and recharge. This is a particular message in this non-stop, busy world where even a child's time can be planned with so many activities that pure play and fun can fall to the wayside.
The story is simple, yet powerful, and is sure to become a family favourite.
I am happy to have received an ARC of #TheUnicornandtheMermaid from #NetGalley.

This was a cute book about a unicorn learning the lesson of resting enough so that she can keep her creative juices alive. I enjoyed reading it with my daughter!

Thank you so much for letting me read The Unicorn and the Mermaid via Netgally. I throughly enjoyed the illustrations and playful yet goal oriented Esme. The story was a great quick read that children of young ages will enjoy.

Such a cute story my girls loved it asked to read it again and again. Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity.

You can’t go wrong with mermaids and unicorns. This was such a beautiful and charming story and the illustrations were gorgeous as well. I can’t imagine any young minds who would love to indulge in this book.

This picture book is for all the young ones who loves unicorns, mermaids and princesses! How wonderful to see the message of “relax and enjoy life” expressed by fantasy creatures that kids already love. The style of the artwork and the font of the text were lovely to behold.

Read this with my 7 year old for she is a huge fan of both unicorns and mermaids!

She says: "I liked how they went under the water and spoke with the octopus with all the books. I learned that the unicorn has magic to grant wishes but to keep her magic she needs to rest and have fun."

I enjoyed the illustrations very much! It was an adorable book and perfect for those 1st and 2nd graders just learning how to read.

Miigweetch to Rosen Publishing Group and Netgalley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

This is an illustrated children’s story about Orla, a unicorn who grants wishes, and what happens when she experiences burnout. She turns to Esme the mermaid for help with her magical blockage.

I love that Esme is a dark-skinned mermaid with textured hair. I also really liked her top! Overall I enjoyed the illustration and art style. It is very clean, bright, and think will translate well to the printed page. I like the message of prioritizing rest and “not being able to pour from an empty cup” so to speak. But somehow the writing didn’t work for me - it was a bit plodding.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for stories about Black mermaids or to readers who adore unicorns.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of The Unicorn and the Mermaid by Claire Philip and Héloïse Mab in exchange for this honest review.

Orla the unicorn has a very important job: granting children’s wishes. Unfortunately, Orla’s also a bit of a workaholic. In fact, she never takes a day’s rest. One night, the unthinkable happens; Orla’s magic disappears, and she is no longer able to grant wishes. With a little help from Esme the mermaid and a giant octopus, Orla discovers the cure for her burnout: laughter, dancing, and adventure.

The moral of the story - the importance of balancing work and play - feels better suited to an older audience, but the lure of a unicorn-mermaid mash-up is certainly hard to resist. Stakes are low in this short picture book, making it a good choice for young readers who enjoy safe but fanciful stories. The artwork is the true star of the show. The book certainly delivers on the promise of its cover; the illustrations of Orla the unicorn, Esme the mermaid (who is depicted as Black), and a supporting cast of sea creatures are bright, colorful, and engaging. At several points, the illustrations even enhance the text. For example, Orla’s horn is much paler than those of her unicorn friends at the beginning of the book. After a day of fun and relaxation, it looks like a rainbow, signaling that she is ready to work once again.

I would not recommend this as a first purchase for those with limited budgets, but this cheerful, eye-catching book will appeal to young unicorn lovers. A solid choice for readers who just can’t get enough unicorn content.

The title and cover art are so promising! However, the story didn’t flow very well with weird pacing and a plot that was not cohesive. If I am confused as an adult, the kids will be too. The art was pretty and there are lots of magical creatures to look at in the book so that is the one pro for me.