We all know how important mental health is, but it can often feel out of reach. This is a problem that Jackie Gill – former teacher and current children’s author – decided to tackle in her “Mindful Fairy Tales of the Enchanted Forest” series, as well as her companion mindfulness course.
In the series’ first book, “Bloom The Brave Fairy,” Bloom learns to deal with her fears through the help of an elder fairy. Bloom’s story shows that even fairies can learn just how magical and mindfulness practices are!
I had the pleasure of reading “Bloom The Brave Fairy” earlier this year, as well as an advanced reader copy (ARC) of the second book in the series, “Winnie the Wise Fairy.” Additionally, I spoke with the author to discuss her new series:
Unwritten: What inspired you to write the “Enchanted Forest” series?
Gill: At 30, I struggled with anxiety and decided to learn more about mindfulness. That led me on a decade-long journey of understanding nervous system regulation, letting go of old conditioning, and discovering a calm within myself.
When I feel that internal calm compared to how I felt before, I thought, “We can teach this earlier.” That led to the birth of the Enchanted Forest.
I reflected on the mindfulness tools that changed my life and the inner child healing I had done, and they slowly became the fairies. Bloom is especially meaningful to me because a lot of her traits were inspired by my oldest daughter, Zoey.
Unwritten: I love the fantastical setting of the book. What led to that decision?
Gill: I’ve always loved fantasy. When we retain some of our whimsy, I believe we move through the world with an artist’s lens — finding beauty and possibility everywhere.
In my teacher training, I learned how effectively children absorb new concepts when they’re connected to something they already love. So I asked myself: What if we took these powerful mindfulness tools and placed them inside a magical world?
Unwritten: As a former teacher, did any of your students inspire your characters?
Gill: Initially, the fairies reflected different aspects of my own inner child healing. Each one represents a lesson I learned myself. But as I developed them, I saw pieces of them in my daughters, their friends, and my students. Every child carries some version of them.
Unwritten: I noticed the diversity of Bloom’s friend groups in the illustrations. Was that intentional?
Very much so. I believe celebrating diversity is one of our greatest strengths as a collective. Every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories they read — and just as importantly, to see friendships that cross differences.
Representation quietly tells children: not only do you belong here, but your uniqueness is part of what makes the world more magical and more vibrant for all of us. The magic isn’t just in the fairies — it’s in the community they create together, where every child has a place.
Unwritten: What do you hope adults and children gain most from reading Bloom’s story?
I hope they gain a sense of internal safety. When your body feels safe, everything changes. Learning nervous system regulation and mindfulness shifted that for me. Instead of reacting from survival mode, I could pause, settle my stress response, and make clearer choices.
Bravery shouldn’t come from emotional shame or suppression. No one tells Bloom she’s silly for being afraid to fly. Instead, an adult sits with Bloom and helps her find internal safety. She doesn’t rush Bloom to face her fear. Bloom does it when she feels ready
Unwritten: Without spoiling much, can you tell us your plans for future books in this series?
Each fairy represents a different emotional or developmental theme children naturally experience. Bloom begins with fear and bravery. Winnie explores emotional reactivity and finding center. And Puck focuses on attention and channeling big energy into focus. The fairies readers see in Bloom’s story will each have their own book, diving deeper into the lessons they represent.
Every story introduces a mindfulness practice in a way that feels magical and playful — but it’s grounded in real nervous system tools. At its core, the series is about helping children (and their grown-ups) come home to themselves in a magical, empowering way.
You can find Jackie Gill on her website and the “Enchanted Forest” books on Amazon.
Featured image via @theenchantedforestkc on Instagram
