The Banana from Space
Olga Podoprigora
Gora Realms (2025)
ISBN: 978-1069602503
Reviewed by Lindsay DeRollo for Reader Views (01/2025)
The Banana from Space and Other Stories from Riverstone by Olga Podoprigora is a delightful, imaginative collection of stories for children that’s full of whimsy and unique humor. Each tale takes place in the peculiar but friendly town of Riverstone. Silly situations come about often, which are full of entertainment, joy, and plenty of laughs. Kids will love the creative humor that’s brilliantly mixed with warmth, friendship, and surprises.
The gentle pace of the stories was very refreshing to read. Oftentimes, stories that are full of imagination and adventure are very dramatic and fast-paced. The stories in this book highlight the peculiar town’s quiet, steady rhythm.
I like the book’s emphasis on how joy and excitement can be found in life’s everyday moments. For example, in “The Banana From Space,” which is about an ant colony taking a banana “rocket” to travel to the moon. Even with the funny absurdity of the situation, the story highlights the importance of compassion, persistence, teamwork, and believing in yourself. Young Ant Queen, Lucia, sets out on a journey to lead her ant colony to find a place to grow a garden and to call home. With help from her friend, Basil, the one-eyed crow, along with her ant colony and a friendly gardener, she makes her (unlikely and humorous!) way up to the moon to live. Even with an unexpected landing, it was through Basil’s persistence, Lucia’s introspection, and the ants’ hard and clever work that made it turn out perfect, after all.
One of my favorite aspects of the book is that there isn’t any type of chaos, fear, or villains needed in the stories to make it exciting. The fun and entertainment are found in the characters’ coming together and using their imaginations to overcome any obstacle, no matter how impossible it may seem. It’s about believing in yourself and not giving up. This book teaches kids that you can find adventures in the simple things in life…which can often lead to magic of all kinds.
The illustrations in this book are charming, kid-friendly, and well-detailed. I like how it shows the friendly, quaint atmosphere of the town, along with the characters’ unique personalities. Children (and adults!) will love them! They will draw them right into the stories and keep their attention throughout the whole book.
I highly recommend Olga Podoprigora’s storybook collection, Stories from Riverstone, and particularly The Banana from Space to all children who love using their imagination, going on magical adventures, fun-loving characters, and plenty of laughs along the way.
At a Glance: A whimsical children’s story collection filled with gentle fantasy, quirky adventures, and imaginative characters in the charming town of Riverstone. Each tale celebrates creativity, friendship, perseverance, and finding wonder in everyday life through lighthearted, family-friendly storytelling.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: whimsical children’s stories, gentle fantasy, imaginative adventures, talking animals and insects, friendship themes, read-aloud books, kindness and teamwork, magical small towns, illustrated story collections, clean family-friendly fiction