The Book of Four Journeys by Veronica del Valle

 

Every traveler eventually encounters a bend in the path—an unexpected turn that alters the course ahead. The Book of Four Journeys by Veronica del Valle focuses on these pivotal shifts, following four characters as their journeys extend beyond what they imagined. Each story emerges from the moment a new horizon comes into view.

The Book of Four Journeys introduces four separate tales linked by the idea that every adventure changes the one who undertakes it. The stories center on Alfalfa Spooly, Mumik and Pimnik, Neboo McCloudy, and Lincoln Jax—each encountering a path that leads into uncertainty, risk, and discovery.

Alfalfa Spooly, a dedicated postman, takes on a mission that requires him to step across the threshold into the unknown, forcing him to face challenges far beyond the routines he knows. Siblings Mumik and Pimnik begin in different places but move through unfamiliar territories as they search for one another, uncovering new dangers and surprises along the way. Neboo McCloudy, a grumpy but determined creature, confronts his greatest fears as he seeks a secret treasure connected to a world beyond what he understands. And Lincoln Jax, an orphan girl driven by longing and curiosity, travels toward a hidden kingdom that may hold the answers she has been seeking.

Across these four stories, Veronica del Valle weaves adventures that blend peculiar characters, unpredictability, and the quiet courage required to face the unknown.

Veronica del Valle is the author of The Word-Keeper and The Book of Four Journeys. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University and has worked as an editor and writer for news organizations and magazines in both London and Argentina. She has also taught creative writing at Universidad de San Andrés. Now based in Buenos Aires, she continues to write stories shaped by her love of language, imagination, and adventure. Learn more at her website and on Instagram.

 

Amazon: https://bit.ly/47XykFd

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58025684-the-book-of-four-journeys

What My Daughter Taught Me About Writing

Children, I’ve learned, are the sharpest editors: curious, unsparing, and attuned to truth in ways adults often forget. One such child is my nine-year-old daughter, Tomiko. Wild-hearted and keenly observant, she’s taught me as much—perhaps more—about writing for children than any book or editor ever could.

If I had to distill the things I’ve learnt from her, it would take the shape of six essential reminders:

1. Children have an extraordinary radar for plot holes. If something doesn’t make sense, they’ll find it instantly, and let you know. They spot every inconsistency, every lazy sentence, every moment when the writer is no longer fully awake.

2. Logic matters as much as magic. If an imp appears, it must have a reason to be there. If a door opens into another world, it must do so with purpose.

3. Stories must earn attention. Adults might politely finish a chapter. Children will simply walk away.

4. Rhythm is key. Not just in language, but in the movement of the tale. A story must breathe, shift, and hold wonder.

5. Children don’t read to admire your prose; they read to believe.

6. Stories must find their way not only through the narrative, but into the reader. They must stir something real. The wilder the tale, the truer the emotion must be.

Over time, I’ve come to understand two things:

One: children don’t ask for perfection. They ask to be met with awe, coherence, and heart. And two: the best children’s stories are written for children, but they’re also written from the part of us that still remembers what it felt like to be one.