Mikka’s Magical Surprise (Princess and Unicorn #1) by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Kyla May

Title: Mikka’s Magical Surprise (Princess and Unicorn #1)

Author: Zanni Louise, illustrated by Kyla May

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Published: 24^th February 2026

Format: Paperback

Pages: 144

Price: $15.99

Synopsis: A series about friendship, having fun and making mischief. Plus a sprinkle of adorable magic! A sparkling new illustrated series for fans of PRINCESS IN BLACK and PEARL THE UNICORN!

Princess Mikka has a palace, a dress for every occasion and even her own waterslide, but there’s one thing she wants more than anything else: a pet.

So when her parents surprise her with her very own unicorn called Marshmallow, all her dreams come true. That is, until Marshmallow’s magical horn ZAPs everything in sight!

Can Mikka help Marshmallow manage her magic, or will the kingdom be covered in orange juice, floating sheep and dancing teapots forever?

~*~

Princess Mikka is very lucky! She lives in a palace, has a dress for every occasion imaginable, and a waterslide! Except, she doesn’t have a pet. All her other princess and prince friends have pets. But her parents won’t get her one! She can’t understand why. After all, she is about to turn seven, surely she is responsible enough for a pet?

Wow! When she wakes up on her birthday, her parents surprise her with a unicorn that she calls Marshmallow. It’s a dream come true and rally cool. Nobody else she knows has a unicorn! But then things start to go wrong at her party when Marshmallow’s horn starts to zap everything.

Oops! There’s orange juice, floating sheep and dancing teapots everywhere, and her friends aren’t that happy. Mikka is determined to set things right.

This new series from Zanni Louise and Kyla May has a gorgeous start that young readers will love. It’s very girly, but suitable for readers who enjoy magic, princesses and unicorns. It is brimming with imagination and fun with boy and girl characters. Princess Mikka is a joyful and curious character who has this infectious zest for life, and a willingness to learn, to help people and to acknowledge her mistakes. Which is all part of growing up and being human.

After all, everyone of any age is always learning about the world. Which is what makes this book so delightful, because it takes lessons or obstacles children might face in their lives, and puts them into an accessible and magical story. This means that even older readers who are reading this with children, or who are reading this for themselves could see how they learn things in this book, or understand the different learning processes that we all have. I love it when books do this, because it highlights that we are all different, and that’s what makes everyone unique and special.

Books like this can bring magic and imagination to life, and make reading fun for younger readers or reluctant readers. Mikka is a character that we can all get behind with an infectious joy for life, and a magical way of seeing the world as a chance to learn and change, rather than barriers. She is a problem solve, and someone eager to make sure she acknowledges mistakes.

As the first book in a series, this sets Mikka and Marshmallow’s characters up well, and solidifies the setting that many of the books will take place in. I loved reading this and think that younger readers will adore this. Mikka’s adventure is fun to go on, and I’m sure she’s going to have lots of fun as the series goes on. It’s going to be fun to see where she goes from here!