Silk Rhode Award Winner - 2023

Bibliophilic dragons. Sea dragons. Dragons who love to cuddle. Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm reimagines fairy tales through radical acceptance. Author Ava Kelly and illustrator Matthew Spencer present three stories in both English and Romanian (as Alia Terra: Basme din Tărâmul Dragonilor), weaving tales of courage, acceptance, and self-discovery with characters who express gender and orientation freely.

In "The Dragon and the Curse of the Glittering Tower," a nomadic purple dragon seeks to rescue a princess from her tower. Meeting her reshapes their understanding of freedom—she wants to stay, embracing solitude over society's demands. Through shared books and quiet tea times, the dragon learns that withdrawing from pressure to be fierce and acquisitive creates space for their true self.

"The Dragon at the Bottom of the Sea" follows a caring dragon who must rebuild life after an injury grounds her flight. In ocean depths, they find community celebrating many ways to move and be. Other sea creatures welcome her and encourage her to explore new ways of moving, a process that helps her find joy and create connections.

"The Dragon, the Princess, and the Knight" tells of a mage who discovers belonging through magical transformation. They become a sword possessed by three distinct beings who journey as one: a knight who uses he/him pronouns, a dragon who uses zi/zir pronouns, and a princess who uses she/her pronouns. Their story demonstrates how identity flows like water, taking shapes that feel true.

Each story appears in Romanian and English, twin paths leading readers to understanding. Spencer's watercolors bring this dual-language world alive, showing characters whose appearances and relationships break free from gender rules. Dragons curl around books, power through waves or cuddle their friends.  Knights and princesses share strength and softness. Each image invites readers to question what they assume about gender, belonging and love.

Kelly and Spencer have created truth in fairy tale form. Their dragons, knights, and princesses find freedom by exploring—and expanding—their understanding of the world they live in and the community they connect with. Alia Terra opens a door where every identity blooms and is celebrated.