Fantasy Books for Kids

Kaggen can spin moonlight from a sandal, but there is one thing he cannot make. Fire. And fire belongs to the Ostrich, who hides it under his wing and never lets anyone near. Can a clever little insect outwit a huge, guarded bird? What plan could a mantis dream up, and what happens when the flame finally breaks free? This warm folktale rewards patience, cleverness, and courage. This Bookbot level practices words like ‘solution’, ‘situation’, ‘question’, and ‘action’.

The fishermen of Kogelo village have not filled a net in twelve nights, and old Oloo whispers that something deep in the lake has frightened even the great fish away. When twelve-year-old Opiyo sees the water ‘bulge’ and ‘surge’ in the dark, he learns the creature below is not hungry but heartbreakingly alone. Can one boy’s shaky voice, and his grandmother’s old fishing song, calm a lonely ‘giant’? This Bookbot level practices the soft ‘g’ sound in ‘gently’, ‘village’, and ‘danger’.

Don has finally found the perfect blue cap at the market - but what happens when a sneaky gust of wind snatches it right off his head? The cap sails over the bushes, gets stuck in the branches, and lands somewhere Don never expected. Can he ever get it back, or has his treasure been claimed by someone much bigger and brighter? A warm, funny story about letting go and finding new friends. This decodable reader practices es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘branches,’ ‘catches,’ and ‘wishes.’

The Tokoloshe is coming. In the dark of night, something small, wet, and very cheeky is tipping over pots, pinching toes, and terrorizing a girl named Nomsa’s home. Can Nomsa outwit a water-sprite that cannot climb but keeps stealing her every plan? With one brick left and her little brother in danger, she must think fast and think smart. This Bookbot book practices reading longer words of three or more syllables, like ‘suddenly’, ‘absolutely’, ‘grandmother’, and ‘afternoon’.

Yellow Rabbit Balloon wants nothing more than to float up, up, up - past the treetops, past the kites, past everyone telling him to hold still. But what happens when the sky turns out to be full of pecking birds, scary flames, and smoggy air? Will anyone down below look up in time to catch a tired little balloon? This decodable reader practices the ‘gn’ phonogram in words such as ‘reign,’ ‘gnat,’ ‘gnarled,’ ‘gnome,’ and ‘signpost.’

When every golem in Canville vanishes overnight, the Mischievous Mage knows the village is in serious trouble. Without them, what will stop the zombies and skeletons creeping in after dark? The only answer is pumpkins - but no one has ever seen one growing nearby. Can the Mage and his friends track some down before nightfall, or will their search lead somewhere far more surprising? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words such as ‘ancient,’ ‘mission,’ ‘patience,’ and ‘delicious.’

Meet a puppet with amazing abilities! Its puppeteer can make it hop, kick, and perform incredible tricks using strings. But what can a puppet really do? Discover all the fun things this toy can accomplish—and what it can’t—in this delightful story about imagination and play.

Hank has big plans for the greatest garden his street has ever seen - but what happens when the sky lights up with strange swirling colors? What falls out of those clouds, and will anyone believe him when he tells the tale? Grab a shovel and dig into this wonderfully weird backyard adventure packed with surprises on every page. This decodable reader practices the eigh phonogram in words such as ’eight,’ ‘heavyweight,’ ’neighborhood,’ ’neighbors,’ and ‘weightless.’

Deep in the Ashanti forest lives Mmoatia, a fairy no bigger than your thumb, who owns a magical stirring-spoon that fills any pot with food. When greedy Anansi the spider snatches it away, why won’t the spoon work in his hands? Can a hungry trickster ever learn the secret hidden inside a giving heart? A warm West African tale about sharing something ‘precious’. This Bookbot story practices the /sh/ sound with words like ‘portion’, ’especially’, ’nutritious’, and ‘gracious’.

Kwaku Anansi has a plan so big it makes his eight eyes shine: gather all the wisdom in the world into one pot and become the wisest creature alive. But when his climb keeps ending in a slide back to the roots, who offers the simplest idea of all, and why does the pot suddenly feel so heavy? Can a clever spider learn to ’laugh’ at himself? This Bookbot level practices the ‘augh’ sound in words like ‘haughty’, ‘distraught’, ’naught’, and ‘onslaught’.