Jacaranda Magic is Dannika Patterson's debut children's picture book. It is a joyful, rhyming celebration of imagination, the value of boredom, and explores what happens when five children are left alone under a tree on a hot afternoon.
A gust of wind sends purple blossoms drifting down over bored children, and that’s all it takes to spark imagination. The blossoms become mermaids, dragon scales, asteroids and fairies. The tree becomes a boat, a castle, a spaceship, a fairyland.
Written in rhyming couplets and illustrated by CBCA-shortlisted artist Megan Forward, whose artwork captures the children's freedom and delight beautifully, Jacaranda Magic is more than a lovely gift book about a beautiful tree. It's a practical tool for parents and educators who want to encourage unstructured outdoor play and a case study for the underrated creative value of being bored.
Reading Time described it as a gentle story about the enormous pleasure children take in using their imagination. ReadPlus gave it a highly recommended review, noting that the simple rhyming couplets create a charming storyline that invites young listeners to predict the rhyme as they go, and that using the purple flowers as a trigger for the children's imaginations focuses young readers on the beauty around them and encourages them to look more closely.
A much-loved Australian favourite, especially in cities like Brisbane and Grafton where jacaranda season is iconic.
Ideal for ages 4–7, prep to Year 2 classrooms, and curriculum links across narrative writing, science inquiry, environmental science, habitats and life cycles. Themes include imagination, nature, boredom, seasons, friendship and screen-free play.
Jacaranda Magic is Dannika Patterson's debut children's picture book. It is a joyful, rhyming celebration of imagination, the value of boredom, and explores what happens when five children are left alone under a tree on a hot afternoon.
A gust of wind sends purple blossoms drifting down over bored children, and that’s all it takes to spark imagination. The blossoms become mermaids, dragon scales, asteroids and fairies. The tree becomes a boat, a castle, a spaceship, a fairyland.
Written in rhyming couplets and illustrated by CBCA-shortlisted artist Megan Forward, whose artwork captures the children's freedom and delight beautifully, Jacaranda Magic is more than a lovely gift book about a beautiful tree. It's a practical tool for parents and educators who want to encourage unstructured outdoor play and a case study for the underrated creative value of being bored.
Reading Time described it as a gentle story about the enormous pleasure children take in using their imagination. ReadPlus gave it a highly recommended review, noting that the simple rhyming couplets create a charming storyline that invites young listeners to predict the rhyme as they go, and that using the purple flowers as a trigger for the children's imaginations focuses young readers on the beauty around them and encourages them to look more closely.
A much-loved Australian favourite, especially in cities like Brisbane and Grafton where jacaranda season is iconic.
Ideal for ages 4–7, prep to Year 2 classrooms, and curriculum links across narrative writing, science inquiry, environmental science, habitats and life cycles. Themes include imagination, nature, boredom, seasons, friendship and screen-free play.
