Leo and the Lantern of Brave Ideas

What went in

• Leo

Style

Watercolor

Genre

Fantasy

Story language

English

What should we know to make Leo feel true to life?

An imaginative seven-year-old who wears bright red trainers, asks endless questions, and says “Let me think” before sharing a surprisingly clever idea.

Is there a real moment, place, or tiny detail you’d love them to recognize?

Leo’s favorite memory is an evening picnic beside the small lake in the city park. A sudden breeze sent the napkins skimming across the grass, and he proudly caught three while laughing so hard he dropped his sandwich.

Is there a place or kind of world that belongs in their story?

A cozy contemporary neighborhood near a lakeside park, with an apartment full of books and drawings, a familiar footbridge, winding garden paths, and a gentle imaginary realm inspired by Leo’s paper lantern night-light.

How should the reader feel at the end?

Warm, reassuring, and quietly triumphant. Leo should finish feeling proud of his own resourcefulness and confident that being brave can mean pausing, thinking, and asking for help.

Is there anything we must get right—or leave out?

Keep everything gentle and suitable for a seven-year-old. No cruel teasing, serious injury, death, separation from family, frightening monsters, weapons, or unresolved danger. Any suspense should be mild and quickly reassuring.

Additional details

Leo loves making maps on scrap paper, counting ducks at the lake, and keeping interesting pebbles in his coat pocket. He is cautious in unfamiliar places but becomes talkative once he notices something curious. Please include his red trainers, a slightly crooked paper lantern, and the recurring phrase “Let me think.”