Dannika Patterson – författare

A light-hearted story about carrying heavy loads and the strength to be found when women and girls find ways to lift each other up.Heavy is an empowering children's picture book about intergenerational and societal patterns of burden carrying for women and girls. It addresses the glorification of business and burden-carrying in today's world in a gentle, age-appropriate, and accessible way, with lightness and humour. It's an anti-multitasking story for 4-8 year olds that advocates for lighter living and focusing on just one important thing at a time to avoid overwhelm and burnout.At the wild animal rescue center run by her family of incredibly strong women, Nina watches as her older female relatives piggyback polar bears and carry boa constrictors.Every day, they pick up more and more. The trouble is, they never put anything down!Seeing her family struggle, Nina is determined to find a way to show them that just because they can carry heavy things around all the time, doesn't mean they have to.Will Nina's inventions help lighten their loads?Heavy is an empowering picture book about the value of rest and the lovely lightness one family discovers when the youngest, Nina, suggests they could all do things a little bit differently

A neurodivergent duck saves the day by being himself.Bruce is the only duck in his flock who doesn't follow the leader, fly as part of a perfect V formation, or do anything quite the same way as the other ducks do.A joyful read and laugh-out-loud experience, Duck, Duck, Bruce! is an engaging picture book that uses repetition, wordplay and visual humour to invite readers to notice how some ducks do things a little bit differently.From fine dining to flying a light aircraft, young readers will love watching Bruce waddle through life in his own unique ways.When a big bad wolf sets her sights on Bruce's flock, will they all fall for her tricks and be doomed, or will Bruce turn out to be the hero his flock needs by simply being himself?Perfect for classrooms, libraries, and family sharing, Duck, Duck, Bruce! is a story that supports social and emotional learning by encouraging explorations of neurodiversity, identity, belonging and self-determination.