Louie the Unicorn , who lives with his parents in Story Land, is going off to New York City for fame and glory after seeing a flyer fly by on a breeze advertising the NEW YORK SCHOOL of PERFORMING ARTS. Louie’s parents do not want him to go, but could not possibly allow him to be SAD, what a disgrace that would be in Story Land.

Louie is so naive and optimistic about everything he encounters in New York. Candy wrappers on the street are decorations placed there for him. Honking cars are cheerful greetings to him. Louie’s responds, “Tallyho, humans.” (14) Everything is rosy to Louie, even select words in the story are in red ink, which matches the cover of the book.  Louie finds the  Sunshine and Sparkle Dust Cafe. He eats literally everything there, only to find out about ‘paying’. This is a new concept to Louie. Victoria Sponge, the cake-lady, and Louie work out payment by using Louie’s horn to make the perfect holes in Victoria’s doughnuts. Then off Louie goes to NEW YORK SCHOOL of PERFORMING ARTS which is just around the corner from the Sunshine and Sparkle Dust Cafe.

At NEW YORK SCHOOL of PERFORMING ARTS Louie soon meets follow student Arnie the Unicorn who is the exact opposite of Louie. Arnie is rude, self-absorbed, and has an active fan club at the school. Arnie wants to be the only unicorn at the school. When Louie asks for directions to the first set of auditions, Arnie gives Louie a map to the boiler room. Somehow, Louie gets locked inside the boiler room until after the auditions are over and Arnie is named the lead in the latest school play. Naive Louie sees no connection between missing the audition and Arnie’s map.

Meanwhile, Victoria’s cafe will be closing permanently if it can not get customers. Louie and his roommates decide to put on a show of their own to help out Victoria. They make and hang up posters all over town, only to have Arnie’s fan club take them down or deface them saying the show will be in the supermarket vegetable aisle. Never fear, optimistic Louie goes to the supermarket and brings the audience through the streets to the cafe in a conga line. The show is a success! The Sunshine and Sparkle Dust Cafe will be staying open.

Afterwards, Louie goes to see Arnie in Unicorn and the Chocolate Factory. It is wonderful. Then, Louie writes a letter home to his parents telling them all about his recent experiences in New York, especially about his new friends. Louie will be staying in New York at the NEW YORK SCHOOL of PERFORMING ARTS.

Be watching for book two of the Unicorn in New York series – LOUIE Takes the Stage!

Written in first person with illustrations of Louie, his friends, and sights placed in front of photographs of New York sprinkled very generously throughout the book.