Corinne Demas’s Once There Was is a simple, modern fable about dreaming of being something else, transformations, and the interconnectedness of all things, featuring whimsical full-color illustrations by Gemma Capdevila.

In this magical, modern fairy tale, a girl dreams she is a princess. A princess dreams she is a horse. A horse dreams she is a tree, a tree a mountain, a mountain a moon, a moon a sea, a sea a girl.

This contemplative story plays on timely themes of aspiration and self-reflection but leaves room for interpretation, giving the book the potential to become a timeless classic.