Join Sapphire, Eliana, and Nova on a magical journey of self-discovery, courage, and learning how the power of kindness and unexpected friendships can open new worlds. (Based on the real letters and stories from the viral 'Quarantine Fairytale' of 2020)
Sapphire and Nova: The First Garden is an illustrated book for children and dreamers of all ages about a misfit fairy, a senstive cat-knight and a clever little girl who builds a garden and changes the world. Based on a true story you might already know.
In the spring of 2020, a young girl named Eliana built a fairy garden in her Los Angeles yard and left a little note encouraging neighbors to add to the garden as a way for everyone to stay connected through COVID lockdown. I was one of those neighbors. I didn’t have much to add to the garden so I decided to write her (and her parents) a letter, as Sapphire - a fairy who had found the garden and recently moved in.
For the next three years, I was Sapphire. While the world outside felt frightening and shut down, we wrote letters and exchanged gifts back and forth, building a safe, magical bridge between our yards full of fairies, adventure, acts of kindness, mysterious magic and creatures of all kinds.
This book is born directly from those letters. It is a book for the kids who feel big feels, who don't quite feel like they belong and wonder if they ever will. It’s for the little ones who feel frustrated that they haven't figured out the "right" way to do things, only to realize that what felt like their deepest flaws were actually their greatest strengths all along.
This book is also for the grown-ups reading at bedtime who remember exactly what it felt like to be that kid, or who find themselves loving and parenting one right now.
(Fot Final Artwork for Sapphire and Nova : The First Adventure)
Readers of all ages will giggle, explore, and learn alongside these characters and some brand new friends on a playful yet deeply moving journey of self-discovery. It is a lighthearted adventure packed with tender lessons about how our supposed flaws are often our greatest strengths. It’s made for dreamers of all ages, though little ones under six will love sharing the bedtime ride with a grown-up.
Sapphire was born - as all fairies are - in a moment so beautiful it can only be described as ‘magic’, though, while other fairies are often born out of rainbows, a baby’s laughter, morning dew, or a falling stars, Sapphire was born when a lightning bolt hit a wave in a stormy sea full of bioluminecense and with her, she brought the same amount of chaos. She also possesses a ‘spark’, it's beautiful, unpredictable, and impossible to control. The harder she tries to make it work, the more it seems to do the opposite. She has given up on trying to ‘fit in’ with the other fairies. She’d rather carry a slingshot than a wand, keep her hair full of twigs, rescue critters, and spend her days searching for forgotten treasures than worry about what a fairy is ‘supposed to be’. Mischievous, curious, and wonderfully stubborn, Sapphire has never stopped believing that the human world is real, that other worlds exist where she might belong and that some day she might find friends who appreciate her 'spark'.
Eliana is a curious young girl who has always found wonder and magic in small moments and creatures often overlooked by most people. While others might ignore a tiny insect, a hidden flower, or a quiet moment in the garden, Eliana sees entire worlds waiting to be discovered and her parents encourage her to keep believing in magic even when the rest of the world seems to have forgotten how to. With an imagination as big as her heart, she spends her days reading, writing stories, and learning everything she can about the creatures and nature around her. When she learns that the fairy and human worlds used to be connected, she builds a fairy garden not because she expects fairies to actually be real, but because she believes the world could use a little more wonder, kindness, and joy. She hopes that somewhere, somehow, her little garden might help someone feel less alone. She never imagines that one day, a real fairy and a royal cat knight will tumble into her garden and begin a friendship that will change all of their lives forever.
Nova is part of a family that for generations has been raised to become part of 'The Nine Lives', the nine bravest cats chosen as royal knights sworn to protect the fairy kingdom and all fairies of FaeFjord. The role assigned to her as the Princess Daisy's sole protector is something she does not take lightly but also feels like it requires an amount of courage she has never quite believed she possesses. Gentle, thoughtful, and easily startled, Nova would much rather spend her days painting, studying bugs and plants, or quietly watering the palace gardens beneath the stars. She knows the scientific names of nearly every flower, mushroom, and beetle she finds, but keeps those passions hidden, afraid they will disappoint the princess she admires so deeply. Convinced she could never live up to the brave, bright and beautiful name her parents gave her, ‘Supernova’, she only goes by the name ‘Nova’. The other members of 'The Nine Lives' have started to notice her odd behavior and it's starting to cause a stir in the kingdom.
My name is Anastasiia Hryvtsova, and I am a children's book illustrator from Ukraine, with more than eight years of experience bringing stories to life through art. What I love most about illustration is creating images filled with emotion, warmth, and meaningful details that invite readers into a world they can connect with and return to again and again.
Working on this book has been a truly special experience for me. I have the feeling that this story has the power to connect hearts, even when thousands of miles separate people in the physical world. The author and I found each other while navigating our own challenges, uncertainties, and hopes, and that shared human experience became part of the foundation of this project.
For me, this book is more than a creative collaboration. It is a reminder that even in difficult times, we can still create beauty, support one another, and share light with the world. I believe that kindness ultimately prevails, and that sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply keep going. That is the feeling I hoped to bring into every illustration in this story.
Kelly’s business manager and occasional cat wrangler. I run the business side for a handful of creative clients so they can focus on the work that matters. With a photography background, I know what it takes to protect a vision from the thousand things trying to pull it apart. This one’s got soul and purpose and everything the world needs right now. Worth every hour of unglamorous paperwork.
My kids are certain Kelly is a fairy. They’re not wrong
Hi! My name is Kelly Victoria. I am a photographer, scientist, and designer with a background in Developmental Psychology and Creative Writing and now I’m honored to add author to the list! Everything I do and everything I create is driven by playfulness, curiosity, tenderness and an enduring love for learning. If Im not taking photos or scribbling in a notebook you can typically find me jumping in the ocean, playing video/board games, studying clouds and stars or planning my next trip to Norway. Writing a children’s book has been a lifelong dream of mine and I am so excited to share this book with you that has been made with so much love and so many hours of hard work and late nights to make sure it feels as genuine and heartfelt as the original story. I am endlessly grateful for my dearest Eliana and her family and their gracious hearts for providing so much love and inspiration for Nova and I during a rough season. They are a true testament to the power of ‘Found Family’. I also want to thank everyone who threw me a couple bucks here and there the last few months to make sure I had groceries or cat food so I could continue pursuring my dream of making this book a reality.
I also think there needs to be a spot here for my best friend, my soulcat, and my definition of home for 14 years - the real Nova. When Nova was younger, she would often find ways to sneak outside and she would bring me small creatures like birds, lizards and baby mice, but not once did she ever harm a feather, scale or hair on their heads. She pretended to be fierce but she was a gentle, comforting soul to all who knew her and always knew the secondsomeone needed a little extra snuggles. Nova was by my side the night we found the garden, every moment I spent writing letters/crafting gifts for Eliana and the last words she heard before she left this world were the last lines of my first draft of this book. She will always and forever be the brightest light in my universe and I love knowing other arms will get to snuggle her in plushie form now. -K I am endlessly grateful for Anastasiia whose artwork has the beauty and heart I searched for months to find. I am inspired by her creativity, bravery, resilience and tenderness every day. I have been honored to work with her and the friendship we've created is something I will never take for granted, proving that kind and magical hearts will always find each other, even through shared trauma and the healing power of creating art.
Additionally, none of this would have ever been possible if it weren’t for Victoria constantly encouraging, supporting, and sometimes lovingly bullying me to finally take the leap to make this book. She works tirelessly in everything she's passionate about and still makes time to be an incredible friend and phenomenal mother.
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