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Yowie Dreaming: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure
Yowie Dreaming is a delightful and unexpected gem of a story set in rural Queensland, following the reluctant city-girl Paisley Parkinson as she’s uprooted from Brisbane and planted in Kilcoy, a place famous for its folklore, forests, and, most notably, its elusive Yowie. What starts as a tale of teen angst and culture shock slowly spirals into a warm-hearted, often hilarious, and surprisingly moving story about friendship, trust, community, and the mysteries of the natural world. Paisley’s discovery of a real, live Yowie, whom she and her ragtag crew name Mr. Yahoo, propels the story into mythic territory without losing its grounded, human core.
When I began reading the book, I anticipated light-hearted small-town quirks and perhaps a few humorous nods to Bigfoot folklore. However, Margaretta James delivers something far more layered. From the very first chapter, particularly in Paisley’s scathing reaction to the lackluster statue in Yowie Park. The narrative voice stood out as strikingly genuine. Paisley’s frustration, dry wit, and gradual emotional evolution as she grows more connected to the landscape, her unconventional family, and the enigmatic Mr. Yahoo are portrayed with remarkable nuance. Her perspective is compelling, intelligent, emotionally complex, and deeply relatable.
The writing is clear, cozy, and refreshingly no-nonsense. There’s a genuine rhythm to the dialogue, and nothing feels forced or overly stylized. The trio of Paisley, Mikah, and Nicco steals the show. Mikah’s chaotic, ADHD energy and Nicco’s calm, tech-assisted communication balance Paisley’s dry humor. Their friendship feels earned, not tacked on. A scene that stuck with me is when Mikah wraps Mr. Yahoo’s burnt paw in honey and bandages, just calmly doing what needs to be done. That moment of quiet kindness was more touching than any dramatic rescue scene I’ve read in a while.
The ideas in the book, especially around land, Dreamtime stories, and First Nations knowledge, are treated with deep respect but not in a preachy way. Aunty Pam is the heart of this. Her stories about the Jinibara people, the shared land with the Yowies (or joogabinna), and the need for balance really hit me. She says, “Even groups that don’t trust each other have to learn to live side by side.” That line lingered. The book isn’t just about discovering a creature. It’s about discovering connection, healing, and how stories, old and new, hold power.
By the end, I wasn’t just rooting for Mr. Yahoo to find his way home, I was rooting for Paisley, too. I wanted her to keep growing, keep questioning, and keep letting people in. The final chapters had me smiling and even when the kids were wading through literal Yowie poo and hiding a mythical beast from angry bogans. There’s whimsy here, but also heart and real stakes.
Yowie Dreaming is for anyone who ever felt like an outsider, who ever loved a mystery, or who just needs a reminder that even the wildest legends might be true. It’s perfect for middle graders, teens, and grown-ups who haven’t lost their sense of wonder.
Pages: 70 | ASIN : B0F5GW1XV3
Home
The Dragon Way Home follows a lonely Australian boy who meets a sand sculpture of a dragon that comes to life, takes him on a wild adventure, and teaches him some valuable lessons. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I used to live on the Gold Coast and often watched sand artists making dragon sculptures. When I moved to China, I always loved visiting the Dragon Temples. Those were my two main influences.
In many coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
The settings are definitely part of my story, but a broken family and flying dragons are pure fiction.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore the idea of “home” through the eyes of a child. I also wanted him to come from an imperfect family–not a bad family–just one that didn’t fit the fairytale version of perfection.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I have just finished “Yowie Dreaming: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure”. It is about a teenage girl who discovers a baby Yowie (Australia’s Bigfoot) in her backyard.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
He must deal with four eccentric dragons. Also, he must survive a hot air balloon crash, a cyclone and getting lost in Shanghai. And that’s just the beginning!
Will he find his dad? Will he ever feel that he is truly home?
A book that will delight emerging readers and keep them engaged to the last page.
Also suitable for dragon lovers of any age.
The Dragon Way Home
The Dragon Way Home is a magical, heartfelt middle-grade novel that follows Jamison, a lonely Australian boy desperate to reconnect with his father in Paris. When a sand sculpture of a dragon named Littus comes to life, Jamison’s quiet beach day turns into a globe-trotting journey via a magical hot air balloon, tropical villages, mystical caves, and bustling metropolises, all guided by dragons of every temperament. Along the way, he meets fiery personalities (literally), faces emotional trials, and most importantly finds his way home, in more ways than one.
From the very first chapter, I was hooked. James has this rare ability to slip from breezy realism to mythic magic without missing a beat. One moment, you’re sitting with Jamison at Surfers Paradise beach, watching a sand artist create a dragon. The next, that dragon is speaking, glowing, and offering to take you across the world to see your dad. And somehow, it all feels totally plausible. Littus, the baby dragon sculpted from sand, is easily my favorite character because he is vulnerable, funny, and strangely wise. The scene where he says, “Power doesn’t come from size; it comes from the heart and mind,” actually made me pause. It’s soft, sweet stuff with teeth.
There’s also a deeper sadness underneath all the fantasy that really caught me off guard. Jamison isn’t just on an adventure; he’s grieving the life he lost when his parents split. His pain isn’t dramatic, but it’s everywhere: in the microwave dinners, the absence of rules at home, the silence when he thinks of his dad. When he finally bursts into tears with Littus after the dragon gets vandalized by teens, I felt it in my chest. The emotional beats don’t scream; they hum just below the surface, and that restraint is what makes them land harder.
The parade of dragons Jamison meets is a brilliant device for exploring different cultures and ideas. Iawo, the ancient, grumpy dragon from the Solomon Islands cave, scared the crap out of me at first. But then he turns out to be fiercely protective, and he literally shields a whole village from a storm with his body. Jinlong, the Chinese fire dragon, brings speed, elegance, and wisdom. And Tesson, the crystal French dragon who shapeshifts into a Parisian woman with Swarovski accessories, absolutely stole the show for me. Her dry sass and grace under pressure made her unforgettable. Plus, the way she guides Jamison through a literal and emotional maze to find his father was so well done.
The final chapters in Paris are warm and satisfying. There’s no huge battle, no earth-shattering twist. Just a boy rediscovering his place in the world, helped by the most unexpected of allies. I got misty when Jamison stood frozen in front of the Eiffel Tower, realizing he’d made it. And the reunion with his dad was messy, real, and absolutely earned.
If you’re someone who loves gentle fantasy, emotional coming-of-age stories, and dragons that feel more like mentors than monsters, The Dragon Way Home is for you. This book would be perfect for middle-grade readers, sure, but also for adults. It’s a reminder that magic exists if you’re still willing to believe in it and that sometimes, finding your way home means leaving it first.
Pages: 50 | ASIN : B0DRZ3L1B9
Less-Than-Perfect Lives
Under Brambles is a collection of short stories and poems centered around the raw beauty that exists in the forgotten, the broken, and the misunderstood. Why was this an important collection for you to write?
Many of these stories are quite personal, including the one about my mother, whilst others are a shadow of people I have known. I think that many people have less-than-perfect lives–imperfect love stories and life events that don’t get a neat resolution. I hope that readers can gain some reassurance in a world where everyone carefully curates their lives on social media.
Can you share a bit about your writing process? Do you have any rituals or routines when writing?
If I have an inspiration, be it a word, an idea, or a paragraph, I write it in Samsung Notes on my phone. Most of my books start off as short stories. My children’s book The Dragon Way Home was borne out of the short story “There Be Dragons” in Under Brambles.
Do you have a favorite selection in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
I feel that “Waiting for the Gate” resonates strongly because it captures all the joy, beauty, madness, and struggle that makes up modern China. I loved my decade living there and this is one of my favorite memories.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am working on two novels at present–one for children, one for adults. My children’s novel is called Yowie Dreaming and it will be available in March. It has been inspired by the town of Kilcoy which has a Yowie statue. My adult novel is set in a south-east Queensland town and it will be available later in the year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Under Brambles: A Short Story Collection
Under Brambles is a tapestry of vignettes, poems, and narratives that unravel the raw beauty found in the broken, the forgotten, and the misunderstood. Margaretta James takes us through fragments of lives—of people on the margins, of unspoken pain, of longing, and fleeting moments of connection. The stories don’t follow a linear structure; instead, they pull the reader through waves of emotion, leaving behind echoes of regret, defiance, and tenderness.
James’s writing is poetic and immersive, painting scenes with words that feel almost cinematic. The opening piece, There Be Dragons, transports us to a bustling night market, where a sand-sculpted dragon silently witnesses human cruelty and kindness. The sensory details—jasmine, salt air, the flickering light of candles—make the setting almost tangible. But beyond the lush descriptions, the story carries an undercurrent of sorrow, of destruction, of the transient nature of beauty. The dragon, lovingly crafted and then desecrated, becomes a metaphor for the fragility of creation in the face of careless violence.
One of the most gut-wrenching entries, My Mother Who Danced, is written as a letter from a daughter to a mother she spent her whole life resisting, only to understand too late. The honesty in this piece is brutal. The resentment, the love, the guilt—it’s all there, tangled up in a raw confession that is both personal and relatable. The narrator’s realization that she has inherited some of her mother’s traits and that she has failed to appreciate her mother’s sacrifices hits hard. This isn’t just a story about a complicated mother-daughter relationship; it’s about the passage of time, about regret, about how we often only recognize love in hindsight.
Then there’s Hallelujah, a darkly satirical take on faith, miracles, and commercialism. A statue of the Madonna in a failing church begins bleeding, and the reaction is swift. What starts as a seemingly divine event is quickly swallowed by human greed, morphing into a spectacle that loses all meaning. James expertly balances humor and cynicism here, crafting a sharp critique of the way society exploits faith for gain.
The book doesn’t shy away from pain. In Story from a Quilt, James presents a heartbreaking tribute to a friend lost to illness and societal rejection. The imagery of a memorial quilt, each patch a piece of a life cut short, is devastatingly beautiful. The contrast between the vibrant, rebellious life of the protagonist and the cold indifference of the institutions that shunned him makes for an emotional gut-punch. The writing here is particularly poignant, moving between nostalgia and grief in a way that feels personal.
Under Brambles is not for readers looking for a conventional story with clear resolutions. It’s for those who appreciate writing that makes them feel something raw and unfiltered. This book is for lovers of poetic prose, for those who find beauty in imperfection, for anyone who has ever looked back and wished they had understood sooner.
Pages: 85 | ASIN : B0DSW98NXT
LITERARY TITAN 