Book Nook - The Gnomes of Fibberton

 In her picture book debut, author and homeschooling mom Becky Bell takes young readers into the magical, whimsical world of Fibberton. Much like Aesop’s fables, The Gnomes of Fibberton is a story about a faraway place where mysterious gnomes keep track of the lies, half-truths, and tall tales of the children throughout the world. This book helps young readers understand why honesty matters in a fun and magical way.

BONUS***: The book includes a QR code that will direct young readers and their parents to a fun song recorded by the gnomes themselves!

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

Why did you write this book? 

I wrote this book after telling the story to different children through the years and seeing them all create little games based off of the tale. It provokes their imaginations and I love seeing kids use their imaginations. It was an added bonus that the games would also be based around honesty. The tale gets children thinking about what is and what is not a lie. That's when they really learn, when they have to figure it out for themselves. 

How can kids learn positive traits, like honesty, from stories?

Kids solidly learn through play and using their creativity. Instead of just saying to a child, "don't lie, it's bad," telling them a story to provoke their creativity based on what is a lie and what is not, actually makes the message sink in more.

Why is it important for families to encourage a sense of imagination in children?

Encouraging imagination in kids is so important! Any parent who sees their kid using their imagination and creating games knows the joy in it. I find when a child uses their imagination, they are far more engaged and likely to absorb information. Kids can tell you the plot of an entire movie or show they watched, but when you ask them what they learned in school they always say,... "I don't know/remember." Using their creativity gets things to stick!

What makes gnomes a fun figure for kids?

Everyone seems to love gnomes. I feel kids love gnomes because they are small, and unimposing. Kids live in the world of "small", and gnomes are small. It's easy for kids to imagine what it would be like to be able to crawl into small places, because they already do! My kids love going into the kitchen cabinets, or under chairs... places where grown-ups can't go, which are the places kids have the most fun. Gnomes can also go into small places that grown-ups can't go, so it gives them more to imagine.