Books

My books can be ordered via bookshops all around Australia and internationally. If your local book shop doesn’t currently have copies in stock – please ask them! Most book shops are happy to order copies in.

If you would like to order a copy that is signed by me with (or without!) a personalised message inside the front cover, please either email me at dannikapatterson @ gmail.com or place an order via my online Book Store .

I can arrange postage worldwide and I also offer local pickup or free delivery as an option if you live in Brisbane or Redland City in QLD.

Keep up with news about other books in progress, creative workshops and other events by following my journey via my Facebook Author Page and Instagram @dannikapatterson

A little bit about each of my published books is below.

Hedgehog the Wonder Dog

My latest release! Hedgehog the Wonder Dog is a picture book full of heart, hope and furry, four-legged love.

Anyone can see that Hedgehog the Wonder Dog is no ordinary dog.
Tell her to sit, and she’ll shake a paw; tell her to fetch and she rolls over.
But it’s only kids like Sam who can sense her true superpowers.
A story about the healing powers of wonder dogs and super brave kids.

Key points:

• Celebrates the connection between humans and animals, specifically the ‘wonder’ and healing powers of therapy dogs.
• Explores the concept of childhood illness and treatment in a gentle, age-appropriate way by providing a window into the world of a children’s hospital.
• Through perspective and symbolism, this book shows the contrasting inner and outer worlds of a child.
• Ross Morgan’s deeply sensitive illustrations are richly layered combinations of hand-drawn sketches, paintings and some digital elements. The illustrations are multi-layered with hidden elements to explore.
• Written in flowing prose, featuring literary devices including alliteration and assonance, as well as concepts including days of the week, routines, counting down.
• A book to comfort children going through hospital treatment.
• A valuable resource for parents, friends, carers, teachers, counsellors and medical staff.
• Promotes the benefits of therapy animals.
• A conversation starter around assumptions: contrasting the way Hedgehog is viewed by strangers in the outside world versus how she appears to Sam in the hospital environment.
• Unique character connections encourage discussions about emotional support.
  

Scribbly Gum Secrets

Scribbly Gum Secrets (2020) is illustrated by Megan Forward and published by Ford Street Publishing.

This story follows Charlie, Layla, Cooper and Max as they take a walk through the Australian bush discovering a world full of natural wonders. However, little Charlie’s mind is focussed on one thing…Who, or what has made those marks on the bark of the scribbly gum trees?

The pages of Scribbly Gum Secrets are full of native treasures. Megan Forward’s charcoal and watercolour illustrations are full of movement and show the biodiversity of the Brisbane region (where this story is based) filled with flora and fauna including; blue-banded bees, carpet pythons, birdwing butterflies, flying foxes, flowering lemon-myrtle, bush stone curlews and of course, the iconic scribbly gum trees. A unique feature of the artwork within Scribbly Gum Secrets is the use of botanical photography in the cover design and some internal pages. The storytelling in this book involves all five senses: touch, taste, sight, sound and smell.

This book encourages eco-awareness in children in a gentle, joyful way. Older readers will delight in finding ‘secret’ words scribbled in the trees and other native treasures hidden within the pages.

It is ideally recommended for children aged 5 – 10 to enjoy…though are we ever too old for a good picture book? 😉

Scribbly Gum Secrets is my second collaboration with incredibly talented illustrator, Megan Forward. Our first book together was Jacaranda Magic, which was published by Ford Street Publishing in September 2018.

Jacaranda Magic

My debut children’s picture book Jacaranda Magic was published by Ford Street Publishing and released on September 1 2018.

More than a joyful picture book that celebrates beauty in nature and the power of imagination, Jacaranda Magic is a dynamic tool to help parents and educators explore the value of boredom and encourage imaginative outdoor play. It addresses a trend is emerging from research in early childhood education in Australia, indicating that young children are struggling to develop key creative, imaginative and gross motor skills due to diminishing access to unstructured play outdoors.

Jacaranda Magic was written to encourage children in the critical 4-8 year old age group to get outside and discover all the possibilities that nature offers when playing with objects in their natural settings and using the limitless power of their imaginations.

Megan Forward’s watercolour & charcoal illustrations capture the beauty of the jacaranda and demonstrate the joy of movement. The children depicted in the story are diverse in terms of age, gender and ethnicity.

Distinctly Australian in aesthetic, Jacaranda Magic aims to delight as a story book in itself as well as serve as an important tool to help springboard children off the couch and into nature.

Download a copy of Teachers’ Notes for Jacaranda Magic here.

Hardcover & paperback copies of Jacaranda Magic are available, in stock or on order, from all good book shops and online retailers, as well as directly from my online Book Shop.

SeaSpray17: Ocean Photography & Haiku Poetry

SeaSpray17: Ocean Photography & Haiku Poetry is a collaboration with award-winning Australian Ocean Photographer, Kian Bates.

SeaSpray17 celebrates the sea. It is a collection of 17 ocean images paired with 17 haiku poems (each with 17 syllables each).

The perfect gift book for ocean-lovers, this book holds wide appeal and is recommended for ages 6 – 106. There is a theme of ocean appreciation and conservation throughout this book.

Not just a beautiful coffee table book for all ages to enjoy, SeaSpray17 as a valuable resource for children to inspire their creativity, knowledge and love of the natural world.

For use in schools, teachers and librarians will find links to Australian Curriculum to support student learning across multiple year levels in Science, Arts and English. FREE Downloadable Teachers’ Notes for SeaSpray17 are here – Teachers Notes_SeaSpray17_2020.

I have also developed a range of interactive, cross-curriculum student workshops based around  SeaSpray17 that can be run in person or via Zoom. These workshops are adaptable from Prep-Year 6, but my ‘How to Haiku’ workshop is particularly well-aligned for those studying poetry units in Grades 3- 6.

Order your signed copy of SeaSpray17 here.

Day & Night

Published by DMind & The Prince (Hong Kong), this story was written for young children aged 3-5 to demonstrate the differences and transitions between day & night, light & dark and city & country. Day & Night is the story of Miki’s first camping trip with her family. It follows the activity of her early-morning rise in her city apartment to falling asleep in the forest under a blanket of stars. This story was beautifully illustrated by Augustina Barriola, who lives in Argentina. This is a BEAUTIFLLY finished hardcover picture book, with lovely details like rounded page corners, which are easier for the littlest of fingers to learn the art of turning pages.

Giving

Published by DMind & The Prince (Hong Kong), this picture book story was written for young children aged 4-8 to help them understand the concept of ‘giving’ and how giving things we no longer need to others or to charity can benefit individuals as well as our environment. This story was illustrated by Jessica Ciccolone, from Italy. This is a BEAUTIFLLY finished matte hardcover picture book, with lovely details like rounded page corners, which are easier for the littlest of fingers to learn the art of turning pages.

Beach Kindy

Come with us to a place where anything is possible.
Where swashbuckling sea captains and puddle-jumping champions play together.
Where spells are cast in the sand and chefs cook seaweed soup for superheroes.
Join Billie, her butterflies and her friends as they discover the amazing place that is…Beach Kindy!

The Beach Kindy picture book is a celebration of early childhood and learning through play in nature, best suited to children aged 3-6. The story follows a group of Kindy kids on a fabulous Beach Kindy adventure – their first excursion, to the beach! This story was inspired by the real life ‘Beach Kindy’ adventures of the children of Wynnum General Gordon Kindergarten in Brisbane.

Sera, the Shell and the Storm

Sera and Joe have seen many storms before but when the island’s animals fall silent, Sera knows something is wrong…will they make it home before the giant storm hits the island?

Sera, the Shell, and the Storm was inspired by the real-life stories of children in Fiji, after living through Cyclone Winston.
I was commissioned to write this book for Wonderbooks UK & Save The Children in 2020.
Access to a detailed interviews with a number of Fijian children, conducted by Save The Children in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston helped give me insight into what the children’s experience directly before, during and after Cyclone Winston was like – in their own words. I also conducted my own research and used memories of my own experiences of visiting Fiji and interacting with the people of this beautiful country, where tropical storms and cyclones are a part of island life

You can find out more about Wonderbooks subscriptions here – WONDERBOOKS from Save the Children – Save the Children

The ‘Grown Up’s Guide’ for Sera, The Shell and The Storm is here – WOND20+Wonderbooks+Further+Assets_Booklet_AW+SERA.pdf (squarespace.com)

I absolutely adore the illustrations by Jamie Bauza for this book. You can take a little peep inside the book and behind the pages of Jamie’s illustration technique on her website – Jamie Bauza Illustration – Sera, the Shell, and the Storm

Library For All Titles

As well as traditionally published titles, I have written a number of books for not-for-profit Australian publisher, Library For All. I am proud to support of their mission to ‘Let the world read!’ and to make knowledge accessible to all, equally. All these titles are available to access for FREE via Library For All’s digital app. Physical copies can also be ordered online via Booktopia.com.au or you can contact me to arrange a printed & signed copy of any of these titles.

My Tribe is a mid-level reader published by Library For All that contains fun animal facts and collective nouns with a gentle message of celebrating diversity. My Tribe has been published in English and Lao. Illustrated by Nici Brockwell, there is also a range of My Tribe merchandise (mugs, bags, phone cases, clothing, etc) available via Red Bubble.

You can purchase signed hardcover copies of My Tribe here – My Tribe by Dannika Patterson | Morningstar Consultancy – Dannika Patterson (square.site)

The following books form part of an educational national disaster series for Library for All, available in a number of regions:

– A Cyclone Called Celia (A picture book about cyclone preparedness for 4-8 year old children)
– Project Volcano (A graphic novel about living in a volcanic region for 7-12 year old children)
– Between the Cracks (A graphic novel about living in a drought-impacted region for 7-12 year old children)

Anthologies for A Cause

Every year I donate my some pieces of writing, poetry or stories in support of important foundations and charities. Sometimes, these pieces of writing end up in fundraising anthologies, like the ones listed below. Profits from purchases of these titles support specific causes and can be purchased via the links below:

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is an anthology to raise funds for trainee teachers in Tanzania. Published by Share Your Story in 2018.

Spooktacular Stories is an anthology to raise funds for children having long stays in Australian hospitals. Published by Share Your Story in 2019.

What’s Next?

I have two more picture books contracted for publication in the coming years and I continue to write and submit more stories to publishers, between commissioned work and freelance writing jobs (as well as writing stories for children, businesses also hire me to help tell their stories more effectively!). If you’d like to work with me, please get in touch. I adore working with words and am always open to considering collaborative projects or commissions.