Artistic Adventures with Victoria

Fantasy Books for Kindergarten

As I write fantasy books for young children, the concept of fantasy worlds naturally comes into play. My book series, “The Adventures of Alexia and Phoebe,” is intended for children around the age of 5. I hope that younger readers enjoy having the story read to them while immersing themselves in the colorful illustrations, while early readers may find joy in reading the story themselves.

Currently, I am in the early stages of drafting ideas for the fifth book in the series. For the first time, Alexia and Phoebe will embark on a journey to a fantasy realm. While fantasy elements have been present in the earlier books, Alexia and Phoebe primarily traveled within the real world—or at least what might appear to be the real world. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this claim after reading the third book. If all goes well, it should be released in fall 2023. Fingers crossed!

The Unicorn Fantasy Realm, the Land of the Fae and Pegasi

Returning to the topic of fantasy worlds, as I found myself in need of a unique idea, I turned to my trusted source of inspiration—Google—and searched for “how to build a fantasy world.” The search yielded various steps, including “planning magic, religious, social, and political systems.” While these steps are undoubtedly important in adult fiction, they seemed a bit excessive for my purposes as a children’s book writer. I narrowed down my search to “how to create a fantasy world for a children’s picture book,” which led me to an intriguing link: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/advice/fantasy-world-building.

The author of the resource began with a reference to Tolkien, so I decided to dive deeper. Once again, it emphasized the need for a map. While I’m uncertain of its purpose, it seems to be a widely agreed-upon requirement. Alright then, I suppose I need a map of the Unicorn world. Luckily, I had already established the initial aspects and rules of the Unicorn fantasy realm without consciously realizing it. In the earlier book, I simply needed to introduce an obstacle to create tension. In this case, I created the Unicorns of the North, whose lands restrict Phoebe’s powers. For example, she can’t travel directly to their land using Rainbow paths.

In the fifth book, I will incorporate both Pegasi and fairies. Therefore, I believe I need to plan a home for both. Perhaps a Cloud City or a Mountaintop City would be suitable for the Pegasi? I will include a few pictures here, showcasing my initial ideas for the Cloud City or Mountaintop City. I know, I may be a little obsessed with Pegasi, but I simply must have one in my book. The challenge remains with the illustrations, but I will address that later. 

But where might my little fairies reside? Maybe a Fairy Island or an endless meadow of flowers? Should I come up with names for the cities? A few pictures will also be included from the home city of the fairies, showcasing colorful trees and more.

The Dream: Crafting the Best Fantasy Picture Books

As I write this, I wonder if I am making the process more complex than necessary. Creating fantasy picture books for children is a wonderful adventure, and I strive to make it accessible and engaging for young readers. With ‘The Adventures of Alexia and Phoebe,’ my aim is to offer the best fantasy picture books—fulfilling a dream of mine. I want to create captivating stories for children around the age of 5 that spark their imagination, leave a lasting impression, and ignite their love for reading. I firmly believe that fantasy worlds hold the key to achieving this goal, as in fantasy books, anything is possible.”