DANNIKA Patterson is showing children the importance and magic of a little boredom with her book Jacaranda Magic.
“Boredom is a pathway to creativity, especially for children,” Dannika said.
Growing up in the Redlands and residing in Manly, she has written numerous books for children including Scribbly Gum Secrets, Hedgehog the Wonder Dog and Zoom.
“I enjoy visiting schools, kindergartens, libraries and festivals to share my books and story-driven workshops, where I hope to to educate, empower and inspire children in a warm, joyful way,” Dannika said.
Her first book, Jacaranda Magic, was first published in 2018 and she published her 18th book for children last weekend.
“What keeps me writing new stories is my belief that quality books are critical to children,” she said.
Jacaranda Magic was inspired by Patterson’s own memories of her childhood, and inspired by watching her own children play.
“For the first 10 years of my life, I grew up in a long suburban street that had a cul-de-sac at both ends.
“From each end, bushland tracks led to pinecone forests filled with creeks to explore, mulberry trees to stain hands and fill tummies and the promise of endless outdoor adventures.
“My favourite place to be was up in the branches of the glorious jacaranda tree in my grandmother’s unfenced garden.
“There were about 18 children who lived in my street, who used to run ‘wild’ together.
“We would spend hours discussing the things we could do (or why we couldn’t), and more often than not the resolution of these lengthy debates on what to play was resolved by inspiration from our wild imaginations, and/or nature, which are central themes in this story.”
The book has gone on to be a favourite of many kids and receive positive reviews due to its great storyline and relatable themes for anyone growing up in Queensland.
“The majority of Australian picture books don’t even get a second print run and tend to disappear off book shop and library shelves after a year or so,” she said.
“When the jacaranda trees bloom in South East Queensland, from Ipswich to Brisbane and beyond, it’s like giant natural billboards, reminding families of their love of this beautiful species.”
Dannika said she was “hooked on books for life” and her latest book was written for Children’s Rights Queensland to help celebrate the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
