Some fantasies begin realistically or contain bits of reality so that they seem believable to the reader. Somewhere in this imaginary world there is a logic where the reader begins to accept that it could happen. Children enter the world of make-believe and fantasy through nursery rhymes, fairy tales and folk tales. They are read to about stuffed animals coming alive and characters in the stories doing the impossible. Stories of talking animals have always been popular for readers of all ages, from picture books like the Caldecott Medal winner, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig to the Newbery Medal fantasy, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien.
Fantasy enables children to go beyond their little world and dream about the impossible.
They can travel to lands beyond their limited world and meet fantastic characters that they never dreamed existed. Most of these selections are appropriate for ages 4-8. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock retold by Eric Kimmel. The trickster figure, Anansi the Spider, has the tables turned on him in this story from the West African and Carribean folk traditions. Andrew's Amazing Monsters by Kathryn Hook Berlan.