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Book Details
Journeys often begin in the quiet space where something familiar shifts and a new direction comes into view. That threshold—where uncertainty and possibility overlap—creates the foundation for The Book of Four Journeys by Veronica del Valle. The collection traces four travelers at the moment their paths widen, carrying them toward places shaped by questions, choices, and the unknown.
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.
EXCERPT: THE BOOK OF FOUR JOURNEYS (From the story Mumik & Pimnik)
Day One
In the Northernmost Part of the World
Mumik Opipok opened his eyes and knew straight away what he had to do. It would take courage, loads of it. He would have to summon it all because he was not the most confident person. In fact, Mumik Opipok’s life had so far been dotted with doubtful moments: should I fish with my fishing rod or with my net? Should I walk to the lake or go on my sledge? Should I wear my white scarf or my checquered one? Should I make fish fillet, or seafood chowder for lunch? For each choice, Mumik debated with himself for hours, and when he finally made a choice, he would second-guess it one more time. Just in case.
But not that morning. Mumik was more confident than he had ever been about any decision. In fact, he had made up his mind as soon as he’d heard what the White Bright Sprite had told him. He knew what he had to do. There was no other way to look at it.
From that moment, his day was dedicated to getting everything ready for his journey. He borrowed an old sailboat courtesy of a former sailor-turned-igloo-maker who had a spare boat. It was rusty, but it floated and that was what mattered. The former sailor-turned-igloo-maker taught Mumik the essentials of sailing: the menaces one can find at sea, how to read charts, how to trim the mainsail and how to use a sextant to let the stars guide him to his destination.
When the sailing class was over, Mumik walked home. He lived in an igloo of bluish blocks of ice in the Northernmost Part of the World. “The top of the globe,” he liked to say. This was a place shrouded in eternal winter, which meant it was always very very cold, but also very very snowy, silvery white and spotless. His good friend, Koko, a wordy and cunning Arctic fox, was waiting by his front door.
“All ready?” Koko asked.
“Almost,” Mumik answered. “Where are Sesi and Sila?”
“Around the back of the igloo, sleeping like true grey wolves,” Koko said.
Mumik went inside and packed some items of clothing, his fishing rod, some cans of food and many bottles of water. He was aware he was not the best planner, but he figured he would be fine with the things he had selected. Before sunset, everything was ready. He would leave in the morning.
When the full moon lit the sky, Mumik went outside and woke up Sesi and Sila.
“Come on, my friends, time for one last ride.”
Author Details
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 onInstagram.
Links
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XtVFIA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58025684-the-book-of-four-journeys
Guest Post
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.
Author Interview
Writing Process & Creativity
How did you research your book?
The Book of Four Journeys grew out of my fascination with the idea of the hero’s journey —that timeless mythic pattern that reveals how every adventure is, in the end, a path toward self-discovery. I wanted to explore what that means for younger readers today, in a world that often feels both vast and uncertain.
Where do you get your ideas?
Honestly, I don’t really know. Everywhere around me. Everywhere within me, too. I’m not sure.
Sometimes ideas come from things I’ve read, people I’ve met, or places I’ve travelled to. Other times, they seem to rise from somewhere deep inside, very much uninvited.
I often wonder where ideas truly come from; they feel less like something we invent and more like something we stumble upon.
What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
The reader will not find any dragons, wizards or witches in this book, but that doesn’t mean it is not filled with the most peculiar and unexpected characters, like Alfalfa Spooly, a postman who will dare cross the threshold into the unknown to carry out a menacing mission. Mumik and Pimnik, a brother and a sister who will explore unknown territories as they set about finding each other. Neboo McCloudy, a grumpy creature ready to weather his biggest fears so he can discover an otherworldly treasure. And Lincoln Jax, an orphan girl in search of a kingdom that holds the answer to everything she is looking for.
What helps you overcome writer’s block?
I go for a walk; movement somehow frees the story. There’s something about being outside, and in motion, that untangles whatever was stuck on the page.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
My favorite compliment comes when a child says they loved the story, or that it helped or inspired them. There’s a raw, unfiltered honesty in a kid’s reaction. There’s no polish, no pretense, just the truth. It’s the ultimate review.
Your Writing Life
Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?
Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
I try to write every day. Discipline is very important to me, even if some days I only manage one very bad sentence. If I waited for inspiration to come, I suspect I’d still be curating an exquisite collection of half-written stories.
It might sound painfully boring, but I always write in the mornings at my desk in complete silence, with (this bit is less boring; and it’s essential and delicious) mate —a traditional Argentine tea— always by my side.
Although I’m no illustrator, I like to sketch characters, places, and maps on paper. Then I pin them to a moodboard above my desk, so the world of the book I’m writing stares back at me while I work.
Behind the Book
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
As I said above, this book grew out of my fascination with the concept of the hero’s journey; the idea that every great adventure, no matter how far it takes you, is ultimately about finding out who you are.
From Gulliver’s Travels to The Odyssey and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I’ve always been fascinated by how these stories chart the outer world as a reflection of the inner one; how every voyage, no matter how distant, mirrors a deeper transformation within.
If your book became a movie, who would star in it?
If my book became a movie, I’d love it to be a Studio Ghibli film. Their worlds feel lived-in, and their magic is quiet and true and woven from wonder.
Which author(s) most inspired you?
I’d say there are three —no, four— authors who’ve inspired me the most:
E. B. White, for his love of the English language, and because he taught me that children are among the most attentive and intelligent readers, making them an audience that deserves the writer’s best work. He said, “Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down.” Those words have always stayed with me.
Philip Pullman, because there’s a kind of yearning in his writing that tugs at your heart —a deep hunger for life, for love, for knowledge and for adventure.
Roald Dahl, because he’s unapologetically himself —bold, mischievous, idiosyncratic, and delightfully unafraid.
And Dr. Seuss, for his wild, limitless creativity and the rhythm and joy that make his words leap off the page. He reminds me that nonsense can make perfect sense and that imagination can be a form of courage.
Fun & Lighthearted Qs
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Anything homemade: a warm oatmeal cookie, a delicious spinach pie, freshly baked bread. If it’s homemade with love (and good music playing in the kitchen while you cook), it’s comfort food in the truest sense.
What are you binge-watching right now?
My daughter and I are watching the three Paddington movies on a loop. I love them —I love the Michael Bond books too, of course— but the films are equally delightful.
If you could time-travel, where would you go?
I wouldn’t travel in time, but I would love to visit a parallel universe. Maybe one where imagination is the main currency and dreams are taken incredibly seriously.
What 3 books would you bring to a desert island?
I’d bring Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy… And Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (because even on a desert island, it reminds you that life is an adventure.)
What’s something that made you laugh this week?
My daughter, Tomiko. She’s nine and has the wittiest, most outlandish sense of humor —it’s like Monty Python but in a nine-year-old version.
