The Banana from Space and Other Stories from Riverstone

by Olga Podoprigora

Riverstone is a quiet town where odd things happen as a matter of course — whether it’s an ant colony taking a banana to the moon, a raccoon trying to be a streetcar, or a chameleon finding his purpose in life.

The ten short stories in this collection are whimsical, calm, and a little off-kilter. There are no villains, no battles, and no dramatic twists — just strange, gentle happenings in a world that follows its own quiet logic.

It's a strange place. You'd want to stay.

99 pages, Paperback

Published July 25, 2025

Reviews

[READER VIEWS]

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.

[Billy Buttons]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Banana from Space and Other Stories from Riverstone
Author: Olga Podoprigora

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 5/5

Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“I liked the banana story the best because ants going to space is SO funny. Riverstone sounds like a place I want to live in. The stories made me feel calm and happy.” — Ava, age 7
“My favorite was the raccoon who wanted to be a streetcar. It was silly but also nice. I liked that all the characters were kind to each other.” — Leo, age 6 – with a little help from his teacher
“This book was magical and cozy. I liked reading one story before bed every night. The chameleon story made me think about what I want to be when I grow up.” — Sophie, age 8
“The stories were weird in a GOOD way. My favorite part was the banana going to the moon. I also liked how the stories connected together in the same town.” — Max, age 7
“I liked that the book wasn’t scary or mean. It was soft and happy and had funny animals. The library book with no pictures was my favorite story.” — Emily, age 6 – with a little help from mum
“Riverstone sounds magical because strange things happen, but everybody thinks it is normal. I liked all the little adventures, and the stories made me smile.” — Noah, age 8
“This book made me feel warm inside. I liked the hedgehog story because it was sweet and hopeful. I hope there are more Riverstone books.” — Lily, age 7

To Sum It Up:
“A cozy, magical collection of whimsical stories filled with lovable animal characters, gentle adventures, and heartwarming lessons about kindness, curiosity, and finding where you belong. A FINALIST and highly recommended!” Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Mary]

The world is filled with possibility, especially for those with the imagination to consider what could be. Riverstone is a particularly magical place where humans, animals, and more interact in beautifully unique ways. Rich emotions are explored and memorable adventures occur around the town in myriad settings and circumstances, bringing residents together with frequency. Each day brings surprises and lessons to learn from, and the town becomes more detailed with every story that is shared.

This collection of stories investigates the natural world from the perspective of a creative reality in which everyday animals and objects have anthropomorphic characteristics. From friendly plants who do not wish to be locked up to ladybugs who eat nightmares, there is no limit to the potential of these tales. And each one connects young readers to the endless potential found in creative thinking.

Written for a young audience, this collection is approachable whether it is being read aloud to pre-readers or being read independently by elementary school-aged readers. Straightforward phrases are delivered in the style of a fable or fairy tale, which makes the tales particularly comfortable for young readers. Even though the actual stories are new to the canon of children’s literature, the succinct and familiar style of the delivery of these tales will resonate with readers of all ages. At the end of each short story, a brief poem is included that summarizes the plot in a playful and singsong manner.

Though the stories are told using very few pages, the messages within each narrative are clear and resonant. By celebrating the natural world, this collection offers young readers countless ways to connect with their surroundings and endeavor to protect them for generations to come. Computer rendered illustrations punctuate each story, further connecting young readers to specific plot points while making the book visually stimulating at the same time. Clever and well designed for short reading sessions, this collection of creative stories is a positive addition to libraries that embrace environmental conservation and creative imagination.

[Theediscerning]

A very decent collection of linked short stories for shorter readers. A lynx is inquisitive – and determined – enough to learn for herself where the sun goes at night. A rabbit has nightmares, and seeks a ladybird friend to be rid of them. Two seagulls disagree about where the wonders of the wider world outside their childhood domain really begin. A humble ant shoots for the moon. A raccoon wants to be as helpful as the streetcar. A chameleon seeks a purpose – and gets one to make anyone smile. A hedgehog pines for the spring sunlight.

It's slightly odd that they all end with a four-line verse to reinforce the moral, and it's slightly annoying the art is AI-generated, for although it is actually really classy, competent and suitable, it raises points of order – such as the rabbit not having an underground bedroom for the ladybird to object to, and those cockamamie road markings. Scale is something it really struggles with, too. And regardless, we get a story here where a storybook is shown why it needn't cry over its lack of pictures anyway.

But the benefits of this are in the writing – I really liked the ways the stories proved themselves to be of the same world, in different times and places. They're not secret easter eggs, but rather call-backs, references and suchlike, and it would be charming to realise that all of your reading could be combined – and this isn't intended to be our only such visit to this world. Beyond that, the quality of the text is fine, with no issues whatsoever, and a timeless warmth matched by what is ultimately quite a wonderful strike rate – there are no duds here.

Best for me was the magic garden – one introduced to us in a tale very close to the Oscar Wilde classic but with less religion. Later it gives succour to a girl missing her parents. This shows to me the quality of this – not loudly conveying a message, nor heightening the drama, but offering wonderful, self-contained episodes that happen to share characters now and again. Shown this at the target age I'd be itching for the follow-up – it still makes the very adult me want to see more. Four and a half stars.

[Molly]

Okay, okay, I admit it. The Banana from Space made me pick up this book. How could I not?

This is a solid read for children, which is clearly its intended audience. What I liked most is that while the book is made up of individual short stories, they all take place in the same town of Riverstone. Characters introduced in one story often reappear a few stories later, which gives the whole collection a nice sense of cohesion rather than feeling like a random assortment of tales.

The illustrations are interesting. Some appear hand-drawn, while others look like they may be AI-generated. If they are AI, they’re generally quite good. What stood out to me most is that all the illustrations are in black and white. That choice is a bit unusual, but it does give the artwork a consistent flow, especially if different illustration methods were used. If color had been added, the styles might not have blended as well.

That said, full-color illustrations might have done more to grab children’s attention and spark excitement. On the flip side, the black-and-white format does open the door for kids to color the pictures themselves, which could make the book more interactive. So there’s a bit of a trade-off there. Also, upon looking at the price (2.99 USD) I realized how accessible the black and white art makes this book to families no matter their finances. That's a big plus!

Each story is followed by a very short poem that serves as the moral of the tale. I really liked this touch. It helps tie everything together and reinforces the idea that these are meant to be short, self-contained stories rather than one long narrative.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. We also learn at the end that the author is planning a sequel, which seems like a good next step. I’ll be curious to see where Riverstone goes next. I just hope the next book brings a little more color with it.

[Sally Wilsey]

The Banana from Space and Other Stories from Riverstone by Olga Podoprigora

This book is made of 10 short stories which is great for bedtime story time.
The stories are fun and imaginative, and children are sure to enjoy them.
I especially liked The Magic Garden and Sophie's Beads of Memory.
The book does have some really pretty illustrations in black and white throughout the book.
I like when stories use imagination and take you to another place you would not normally go.
I recommend this book for bedtime stories.

[Karen Olson]

A cuddle up book

This selection of short, fairy-tale-like stories brings a cast of mostly animal characters who each have magical experiences that they share with others. Topics are wonder, curiosity, helping friendships grow, paying attention to small things (even in small towns) and respect. Thoughtful prose end each story. The stories are too long for most very young children’s attention span, but appropriate to read aloud starting around age 6-7 and more experienced readers will enjoy cuddling up with this book to read themselves.