The Girl Who Looked Up

Hoid's Storybook Collection

by Brandon Sanderson, Alexis Hernandez (Illustrator), Justin Hernandez (Illustrator)

Before storms, before memories, and before legends, there was a girl. Shallan first told this Rosharan folk story, but when she needed to hear it, Hoid brought his signature storytelling magic to the tale. This is a story about a girl curious enough to ask questions and brave enough to seek the answers.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Fiction, Picture Books

Hardcover

Expected publication December 1, 2026

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The picture book adaptation of a variation of the Rosharan folk tale The Girl Who Looked Up that appeared in Chapters 25 and 82 of Oathbringer as told by Shallan and then Hoid is a wonderful combination of Brandson Sanderson’s writing and the art of Isaac Stewart. The short story of “the girl” who wonders about the impossibly high wall that surrounds her village that keeps it forever in darkness which the rest of her townspeople simply don’t acknowledge until prompted then tell her to not go beyond or she’ll probably die. The girl ventures to the foot of the wall then climb up to the top and sees stormlight for the first time. Getting some light, the girl returns to her village and shares it. This third version of the tale references to both versions as told by Shallan and Hoid.

[Johanna · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

The Art style of this storybook was my favourite of the 4 💕

[Mikaela Jordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. No notes.

[Derrick · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This one has a great moral and the art has a great style. The details of the wall are particularly striking. The story is simple but effective and it really lets the art provide the deeper world.

[Renée · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I liked it, especially the artwork.

[Marcos “MSMDragon” · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thought provoking story with a great message. It’s so important to question things and think for yourself. Also, I absolutely loved the artwork in this one!

[Pål · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this story as it was told within the Stormlight Archieve. The book has great visuals and an okay story, but does not stand as well on it’s own in my opinion.

[Tyler Mauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised that stormlight specific language (such as cremlings) was included in this version of the story. The art was great and I think the tale translated well to this format.

[Nikki · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

After reading the Dog and the Dragon I think I was expecting another cute children's tale, but The Girl who Looked Up is more a tale of caution and a warning that sometimes, maybe, the people around us might know something we don't.

[Bobby Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So great to have this in storybook form. Art is amazing and it is such an interesting story. It is so fun to be able to read it to my kids as a bedtime book.

[Debby Tiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I regret not remembering these stories very well from when I read the Stormlight Archives.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

man. the art is really striking, but shockingly it leaves out the girl discovering the world of color?! it would've been such a cool reveal to go from monochrome to vibrancy.

also... the moral of the story is changed. that's okay, because the story Wit tells is more geared towards Shallan's personal situation. instead of learning to embrace your failures as part of you, the story is now about learning to ask the right questions. this version of the story tells us that sometimes walls are put up to keep you from looking beyond.

this implies that the wall was built to keep the people from thinking about their immediate lives and surroundings. so, who built the wall? and why did they want to encourage the people to think this way? was the danger the chasmfiend? if so, why didn't the chasmfiend follow the girl across the wall and terrorize her people?

and yes. i know the book says that it's trying to teach me that coming up with my own questions is important. and while i agree with this, i don't feel that the book provides a satisfactory justification for WHY it's important. the book wants me come up with my own questions, and doing so has so far only led to frustration, which is disappointing.

[Rebekah Sager · Rating 2 out of 5]

For anyone who has read this story in its original form from Sanderson's "Oathbringer," please know that the ending has changed significantly. Rather than a story that helps us remember that we can bring light into the darkness, that we are not defined by our association with the dark parts of humanity or by our past mistakes, it is a story that in the end seeks to justify disobedience. It is a book written to children that literally ends with the reader being encouraged to question safety rules, such as "Don't drink from this well" or "Don't go into this room" and depicts the heroine as breaking a safety rule and it being a good thing.

Readers of the original story, yes. She does go against the flow. Yes, she does climb the wall when she was advised not to. But the moral of that story was NOT encouraging readers to disregard boundaries. It was, as mentioned earlier, to encourage readers to bring light into their world despite the darkness around and within them.

But the artwork was pretty.

[Danielle T · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The Hoid's Storybook Collection is a little bit more for adult readers than kids despite being picture books, I think (with the exception of ChasmFriends, and maybe Dog and the Dragon), as adaptations of stories Hoid tells in The Stormlight Archive. The art in this one is beautiful, with metallic silver accents as part of the Girl's world and framing. In the original book, there are two versions told by Shallan and Hoid with slightly different endings- this one is a little bit more of Hoid's with ambiguity on whether or not to look over the wall, but the illustrations make it a little more clear of what the Girl found. Overall a hopeful tone with a lesson, though my husband thought it should've been more open ended.

[Tom Wheddon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexis and Justin Hernandez’s artwork brings to life this story just as well as Hoid could in a Lightweaving.

The mostly black and white book is brought to life by the stylistic choices of when to add colour and silver which makes them all the more effective. The designs and details added to scenes are arresting and truly fantastic.

I am gland Brandon decided to use this story for the book and not its tangential ‘The Girl Who Stood Up’ as I always felt this was the more compelling (and uplifting) version of the story.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was probably my least favorite of the books in Hoid’s storybook collection. Although this book has a strong illustration style and aesthetic, I didn’t feel the story was as strong as it was in the Stormlight Archive. I remembered feeling quite emotional reading it for the first time in the full narrative, and this format just didn’t strike me as strongly. This being said, all of the books in this series are extremely high quality and the perfect buy for any fan of Brandon Sanderson.

[Lady Katie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Having yet to read the Stormlight Archive, I did not know the story before reading this book.
This is the first of Hoid's Storybook Collection I have read.
The artwork is beautiful and enchanting.
I have mixed feelings about the actual content of the book. Perhaps when I read SA, I'll have a more firm opinion on it.
I found the juxtaposition of ideas interesting.
It was both vague and specific at the same time.
I didn't find it terribly compelling, but again, that may change when I get the context.

[Enci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story when Hoid told it in the Stormlight Archives and omg i loved it here too. It is not fully the same as it was told in the books, Hoid loves chqnging things as he sees fit and that gives an extra layer to it all.

And then the illustrations!!! They elevate the story and add fo the reading experience so so much, I adoooored the entire thing.

Woudl absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves the Stormlight Archives

[Happy Cake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I was so exited to receive these email yesterday! I'm so glad we supported the Kickstarter. Although I've already read the story in The Stormlight archive, it's still such a good story and seeing it illustrated makes all the difference! I really can't wait to see it on paper when the physical copies arrive. The art style of Alexis and Justin Hernandez is just astonishing! Easily my favorite from all of Hoid's Storybook Collection.

[Josh · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I've read a similar story about people enclosed by a giant wall before, though I don't remember how it ended. This one didn't have all that much of a resolution that I could gather. The artwork was nice, but it's all grayscale except for the red scarf. Not sure if it's supposed to be a tale of legends on Roshar or not.

[Adam Fisher]

THAT is a Hoid story if I've ever read one.
Yes, children, and adults too... QUESTION things when you don't understand the why of it.

Originally told in Oathbringer, this Rosharan folktale should be told to every child growing up.

Essential reading!

[Marizabeth Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Hoid's storybook collection this may be my favorite in terms of illustrations. I loved the sequential panels and the contrast of red with black and white. Good story about being inquisitive and being brave enough to find answers.

[Kathryn Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This IMO is the best executed of the 4 children's books in Hoid's collection. It works very well as a story and has an excellent message for kids. I'll be getting extra copies of this one for my friend's kids.

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think on."

I dunno, sure feels like these stories are telling us how to think. That aside, this was my favorite of the picture book bunch.

[Joshua Botelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning art, nice story with a decent "lesson" in it. Some people may have concerns with what that lesson is really telling their kids but just remember... "The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book actually brought me to tears. The first time I heard it in Oathbringer it did the same but now it hit me even harder. Its such an important message for everyone to hear and im so glad he got to write it.

[Jai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are truly stunning. I might not have been opposed to the story being reconstructed in some way or form for a stronger throughline for young children, but nonetheless, the narrative is still effective and powerful.

[Maribel]

Obtenido por el Kickstarter, nada más llegó y empecé a leer, es una historia corta bellamente ilustrada, espero que pronto llegue mi copia impresa.

[Nichol Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story Hoid tells in one of the many books he is in. Excellent done. I loved the contrast of the red scarf and white hair provided.

[Ben Muyres · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5