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’s a book for the kids who feel big feels, who don't quite feel like they belong no matter how hard they try and wonder if they ever will. It’s for anyone who has felt 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 of those magical little souls right now.
(Fot Final Artwork for Sapphire and Nova : The First Garden)
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. Sapphire and Nova : The First Garden is a lighthearted adventure packed with tender lessons about how our supposed flaws are often our greatest strengths that may end up saving the day
Long ago, the human and fairy worlds were connected by magical doors hidden among forgotten gardens, ancient trees, and places where wonder still had room to grow. These doors did not open for the strongest or the most powerful, they appeared only for hearts filled with kindness, curiosity, and courage.
But over time, humans grew too busy to notice the little bits of magic around them. Gardens were forgotten, imagination was tucked away, and hearts grew heavier with loneliness. As fewer people believed in fairies and magic, the doors began to disappear, and the connection between the two worlds slowly faded.
Eventually, the stories of fairies became nothing more than fairytales. Humans stopped believing fairies were real, and fairies stopped believing humans were real. Both worlds continued on their own, each quietly missing something they no longer knew how to find.
Until one day, a young girl named Eliana decided to create a secret fairy garden in her yard - a garden filled with flowers, kindness, and a little bit of hope to find some friends in her new neighborhood. What she didn’t know was that she was building so much more than just a garden, she had created a way for a fairy named Sapphire and a cat knight named Nova to tumble into an unknown and mysterious world.
But when the worlds begin to reconnect, not everyone is ready for the changes their friendship brings. Together, the three friends must decide where their hearts truly belong and whether they are brave enough to open a door that could change both worlds forever.
This is a story about friendship, belonging, and the lesson that even the smallest acts of kindness have the power to open new doors. Together, Sapphire, Eliana and Nova remind us that even when the world feels big and lonely, tenderness can still light the way. And sometimes, the greatest magic does not come from fairy dust at all...
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 star, 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 who all seem to be able to control their magic. She’d rather carry a slingshot than a wand, keep her hair full of twigs, rescue critters in the woods, 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 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.
I am launching this campaign to fund the printing, production, and distribution of Sapphire, Nova, and Eliana's very first adventure. The stories of Sapphire and Eliana are deeply important to me and to so many of you so I chose to self-publish because I wanted to protect the characters, the themes, and the heart of this world without any compromise. Over the last few months, this has been my full-time job. I have poured myself into learning every single step of the process myself, from the writing to finding eco-friendly, thoughtful manufacturing for the book and every item that comes with it. If we do not meet our goal, unfortunately none of it is made and every backer gets their money back. So, by backing this project, you are directly bringing an independent, consciously made universe to life. Thank you for helping me make this magic real.
It started, like the best things do, with something small and completely unplanned.
In the thick of the 2020 lockdown, a little girl down the street and her family set out a few trinkets to start a neighborhood art project, just a sweet way for isolated neighbors to share a bit of community creativity. I happened to walk by. I didn't have any knickknacks to add to the collection that was already filling the garden but I was carrying a lot of my own heavy, quiet heartaches, and I desperately needed a reason to look for light. So, I left a note from a fairy named Sapphire.
What started as a single, private moment of hope between two people who needed a little magic blossomed into a new world over the next three years. Tiny letters, small gifts, and a beautiful bond kept us both anchored when everything else felt shut down and scary.
We never did any of this for attention. But during a time when the entire world was starved for joy and connection, the magic spilled over. I shared a bit of our journey with friends, they shared it with others, and suddenly, this quiet neighborhood secret was bringing tears and smiles to millions of people around the world, including Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Clarkson.
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 for their gracious hearts that provided so much love and inspiration for Nova and I during lockdown. 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. Nova came into my life unexpectedly and had suffered significant trauma before I found her. It took us a long time to warm up to each other until we realized we were exactly the same and once we started treating each other the way we wanted to be treated, she began to open up and we were inseparable every moment after. When Nova was younger, she would often find ways to sneak outside and 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, it almost seemed like she just wanted to show me something cool she found. She loved collecting things and putting them in her favorite place - her cardboard box. She pretended to be fierce but she was a gentle, comforting soul to all who knew her and always knew the second someone needed an extra snuggle. She saw the best and worst of me through so many stages of my life and kept me alive more than once. 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
Part of one of Eliana's stories
I am endlessly grateful for Anastasiia whose artwork has the beauty and heart I spent months searching for. I am endlessly 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 across the world. I am so thankful to find another magical soul who believes deeply in the healing power of creating art and community in times of heartache.
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. You can tell just from meeting her kids that she is full of love and magic and a level of patience I can only dream of possessing.
If you are new to crowdfunding or BackerKit, Welcome! Supporting a project this way is safe, secure, and a wonderful way to help bring this book to life. Here is exactly how it works and how you can participate.
What is Crowdfunding? Think of this as a community coming together to fund a project before it is made. Unlike a traditional store where you buy something that already exists, your pledge here helps pay for the illustration, printing, production and shipping costs of the book. In return for your early support, you will receive a limited edition of the book and its rewards as a thank you once they are manufactured.
Is My Information Safe?: Yes. Pledging through this official campaign page protects both you and me. Your information is secure, and you are never at risk.
The "All or Nothing" Promise: This campaign is entirely risk free. We have a set funding goal and a deadline. If we meet our goal, your card will be charged at the end of the campaign, and we go to print. If we do not meet the goal, the project does not move forward, and you are never charged a single penny. No one is ever charged unless the project is a guaranteed success.
Step by Step: How to Pledge
Step 1: Create Your Account To get started, you will need to create a BackerKit account. This ensures your pledge is tied to you securely. Tip: When signing up, you can choose to receive email updates about your order so you can track your book. You can easily uncheck any boxes for extra promotional emails or texts if you prefer to keep your inbox quiet.
Step 2: Choose Your Reward - Look through the available options on this page and select the tier you like best and any additional add-ons you may want. If the book is intended to be a gift for a child in your life, keep in mind how fun it is for their imagination to have something from the book that can help them feel more immersed in the story.
Step 3: Enter Your Payment Info - Follow the prompts to securely enter your payment details. Remember, you are just making a commitment right now. You will not see any charge on your card today.
Why Not Just Pay Me Directly? Some friends have asked if they can just send me money directly. While I appreciate the thought, using the BackerKit platform protects you. It keeps all of your shipping information organized in one secure place and guarantees that your money is only handled if the book is successfully funded. If you personally send me $60 and the project misses the mark by $60 on the last day, everyone gets their money back and the book isn’t made. If the project is funded, we can continue the series and get the book into bookstores everywhere and you can say you are part of the reason why.
