Dannika Patterson | Writer

Dannika Patterson

Phone: +61 413 449 428

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25.01.2022 Hey Ipswich! These school holidays, Megan Forward and I are coming at you via Zoom to share a special interactive workshop for Ipswich Libraries. Join us for Making Magic, a 'behind the pages' look at how a picture book is made. In this workshop Megan and I will share our book Jacaranda Magic and take you on a studio tour. Then we will take you behind the scenes of our creative process and step you through an art making project, so you're on your way to creating your own pi...cture book! If you are not a member of Ipswich libraries, you can still join the session by calling 3810 6758 to book in. Due to the creative and interactive aspects of the workshop, numbers are limited, so book in early to secure your spot! And do check out all the other amazing workshops Ipswich Libraries are making available these September school holidays at the link below. From Creating Characters with Heath Mckenzie to Lego Engineering - there's something for everyone in this amazing program! https://www.ipswichlibraries.com.au/whats-on/children/

24.01.2022 Such a pleasure to run 3 days of workshops with children in PNG this week via Zoom. We sang, we rhymed, we wrote, we drew and we grew...like beautiful trees! Thanks to organiser extraordinaire T.M.Clark - Author for inviting me to be part of Team PNG for Book Week 2020, and a big shout out to Claire Saxby for taking the time to share stories of her time on the ground in PNG with me...and for teaching our group of children the most brilliant rendition of 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree' I've ever heard!

24.01.2022 Junior holiday intern, proofing final on-screen spreads for the Beach Kindy picture book, illustrated by Di Spediacci Art. No detail escapes this soon-to-be-six-year-old.

23.01.2022 An uplifting example of the magic of outdoor learning.

21.01.2022 Just in case I was wondering how my 5 year old feels after a sleepover at her grandparent's house, she made me this card...

20.01.2022 Thanks to Belladonna Took of Weekend Notes for this lovely interview. We chatted about childhood & books, words & joy, dreams & backup plans, motherhood & bravery, reading & writing, nature & digital tech, inspiration & distraction and my wonderful Mum .

20.01.2022 HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE! Spring is my favourite season. Because it symbolises renewal.... Because the light of day lasts longer. Because both my babies were born in Springtime. (Not because hay fever!) And because it means that the jacaranda trees in Brisbane are getting ready to get their brilliant bloom on. Today also marks two years since I officially became a published children's author, with the release of Jacaranda Magic. What a ride it's been so far and long may it continue. To celebrate the first day of Spring and the two year anniversary of Jacaranda Magic's release, I've teamed up with some very special #womeninsmallbusiness to create a one-of-a-kind giveaway. It's very gorgeous and very purple and we hope it will make a lucky little jacaranda-loving person very, very happy. Watch this space...we'll reveal this very special giveaway tonight! Hint: If you're an accessory-lover who isn't already familiar with the gorgeous, handmade-with-love products of Scrunchee_love and @ghosty.au - do yourselves a favour and check them out! ;-)

18.01.2022 What happens when a pair of creatives, both equally passionate about connecting children to nature, get the chance to work on a picture book together, inspired ...by the Aussie bush? . A whole lot of fun, mess, learning, mess, STEAM workshops, mess, more Teachers’ Notes to accompany a picture book than you’ve ever seen, snake skin hunting in the bush and glorious, creative, completely necessary, mess? . More on the website here: http://ow.ly/Z6RZ50AY67m Image Credit: Megan Forward

18.01.2022 To all the amazing Early Childhood Educators I know. You are seen and you are so very appreciated!

17.01.2022 The perfect book for #ruokday and a beautiful gift to soothe the soul of anyone going through...2020. #theboythemolethefoxandthehorse by @charliemackesy Sometimes we need help to find or take that next step. ... #ruok #itsoknottobeok #justtakethenextstep

15.01.2022 SPRINGTIME GIVEAWAY Do you know a child who would go wild for this pretty purple prize pack? If so...tag their Mum or Dad below! ... To celebrate the first day of Spring and the two year anniversary of the release of children's picture book Jacaranda Magic, I've teamed up with some other amazing #womeninbusiness to create a special Springtime Giveaway for one lucky little jacaranda-lover. Get a load of the custom-made cuteness up for grabs! A limited edition 'Jacaranda Love' Charm Bracelet with bespoke #jacarandamagic charms and sparkly purple hearts, made by the clever creative souls at Ghosty under their #ghostygirl label Limited edition floral headwrap & hair tie + a scrunchee in...you guessed it...jacaranda purple, handmade by the lovely Vicky from Scrunchee_love A signed paperback copy of Jacaranda Magic by Dannika Patterson and Megan Forward...with an extra little surprise hidden inside the cover! We're all so excited to offer this very gorgeous and very purple prize pack to celebrate all things #Spring. Entering is easy! Simply like this post and tell us in the Comments below what it is you love most about Spring! Extra entries can be gained by tagging a friend, or sharing this post. Entries close 9pm Friday 4 September. *Open to Australian residents only. The Springtime Giveaway is no way associated, endorsed, sponsored, administered by or associated with Facebook/Instagram*

15.01.2022 3 sleeps to go! A handful of tickets are still available. Grab yours via the link and I'll see you there!

13.01.2022 COVER REVEAL Pleased as punch to reveal the cover for Beach Kindy, featuring art by Di Spediacci Art. '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.' The Beach Kindy book has been such a joyful labour of love to work on over the past year and I am excited that it's almost time to share this book with the world. Beach Kindy will be released in late September and pre-orders are now open via the Wynnum General Gordon Kindy web shop. Although this book was inspired by and written for WGG Kindy, the story is universal and can be enjoyed by young children everywhere, especially those approaching their first excursion with nervous-excited butterflies in their tummies! (A bit like the feeling I get before releasing a new book into the world!)

12.01.2022 How incredible is this library display of Scribbly Gum Secrets at Oakleigh State School for their 2020 Book Week celebrations?

12.01.2022 It's the most wonderful time of the year... Book Week (#1) is here! Two bites of the Book Week cherry in Qld this year, with some schools sticking to the original #cbcabookweek2020 August dates and some waiting until the officially rescheduled October dates. ... Win-win for authors. The more Book Weeks, the better!

11.01.2022 $200 Walker Books pack up for grabs...

11.01.2022 This morning I dusted off the flower crown and got my Spring vibes on to run a crafty and creative Jacaranda Magic story/art workshop with Megan Forward for Ipswich Libraries. The artworks that the children created by the end of our session - their own versions of a Jacaranda Genie - were absolutely AMAZING. Our co-presented, zero waste story & art workshops focus on using natural and compostable art materials. They can be delivered in person or via Zoom for libraries, schoo...ls and other organisations. This Friday (October 2nd) we're running another free online workshop, this one focussed around our new title Scribbly Gum Secrets, for Brisbane Libraries. If you would like to join us for Friday's free workshop phone Wynnum Library on 3403 2199 to book your place. Event details link below: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au//online-event-megan-forward

10.01.2022 I'm very pleased to finally be able to share the covers of two more picture books I've been working on behind the scenes for the best part of two years now. Day & Night and Giving are bound for international markets, as part of a new educational ESL series, with an environmental and social-awareness focus. The two titles I've written are written for littlies - pre-school to Year 2 (ish). These books will be officially launched at the Hong Kong International Book Fair in Dece...mber 2020. I can't wait to receive my hard copies soon and to begin sharing these new stories with children in Term 4 school visits!

09.01.2022 And that's a wrap on Author Visits and Workshops in schools for Term 3! It was lovely to be back at Moreton Bay Boys' College today to share some Scribbly Gum fun with the Year 1s. This term, Megan Forward and I have co-presented our Scribbly STEAM workshop to over 1000 children at schools and kindergartens around Brisbane. ... It's been a joy to share our kind of creativity - a mix of science, nature, imagination and art - with children from pre-Prep - Year 6, and to have had them all engage so well in this new, cross-curricular workshop format. Looking forward to Term 4 visits already!

08.01.2022 Hey there, Beach Kindy! Finishing the week by welcoming first copies of another book baby. Brisbane Bayside folk, stay tuned for news of two local pop up events to celebrate this book, beach style, later this month....

08.01.2022 THEY'RE HERE! Tonight's bedtime stories. Two more little pieces of my heart and soul, carefully and patiently shaped into children's stories. ... These are author copies of my two new book babies, being held by my actual babies. One inspired by the gorgeous giving heart of my little boy. One inspired by the endless curiosity, wonder and ability to live in the moment of my little girl. Both precious, real and so very professionally produced by the amazing team at D Mind & the Prince. Based in Hong Kong, D Mind & the Prince is an imprint which offers teaching and learning resources for little readers, families and early childhood educators. They are committed to developing literature that nurtures the future of our littlest global citizens, promoting world vision, art appreciation, language and life skills. I feel very honoured to have been asked to write these two titles for them, and am delighted to have collaborated with two brilliant international illustrators, @agustinabarriola from Argentina and @jess.illustration from Italy #newbooks #grateful #childrensauthor #giving #dayandnight

05.01.2022 Over on the Children's Books Daily blog, you can discover a little bit more about the story behind the story of Scribbly Gum Secrets from both Megan Forward Author Illustrator Educator and my perspectives. We share what drives us, our gloriously messy creative process and why we've developed our cross-curriclum, co-presented Scribbly STEAM workshops for delivery in schools, libraries and online. By openly sharing our own experiences, processes, whys and happy accidents, we... hope to encourage children to give themselves permission to be naturally inspired and wildly creative. Thanks for having us CBD! P.s. If you love children's books and you don't already follow Children's Books Daily, you should!

05.01.2022 Today's office. So grateful to have the opportunity to work in schools and kindys this week to run Scribbly Gum Secrets workshops for kids with my co-creator @meganforwardauthorillustrator It's always an extra treat when we can set up outdoors for our presentation! ... #authorlife #natureinspired #creativeworkshopsforkids

04.01.2022 Excitement in the mail today... My Tribe has been translated into another language! What a great hump day pick me up, thanks to the good folk at Library For All who have helped more than 250, 000 children in Papua New Guinea, Laos and Timor-Leste learn to read in just a few short years. ... Their goal is to help 20 million children around the world learn to read by 2030. It's a very feel good mission to be a very small part of and I intend to keep donating one story per year to LFA...for as long as they'll have me. It's wonderful that My Tribe has been adapted and translated by a team of cultural advisors, making it accessible and relevant to a whole new audience of children, as part of Library For All's growing digital library. Can anyone guess what language this is? I'll send the first person* to guess the correct answer a signed copy of My Tribe...in EITHER of the languages it is now published in! :-) (*within Australia)

01.01.2022 Scratching around for second week of school holiday fun, from the comfort of your own home? Megan Forward Author Illustrator Educator and I are co-presenting two online workshops for Brisbane Libraries next week - one on Tuesday 29th and one on Friday 2nd. Register with the library to secure your spot and join us for a fun fusion of fact, fiction, art, nature, science and Scribbly Gum Secrets!