Happy Hearts

Zachary’s heart is full of sadness. He misses his Nana and wonders where she is, but it’s hard to imagine something you cannot see. One night, Zachary embarks on a magical adventure to a place filled with his favorite things. With an extra special person to guide him, Zachary finds his imagination and returns with happiness in his heart. This engaging story uses imagery, repetition, and an imaginative story line; helps young children understand emotions and bereavement in a positive way; encourages the reader to use their imagination to transport them to another place; and focuses on the relationship of a young boy and his Nana.

Jevita Nilson was born and bred in Perth, Western Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology and has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. She has worked in Human Resources and Organisational Development in the public and private sectors for over ten years. When her mother died in 2018, she struggled with depression while trying to raise her young children and grieve her death. Jevita found writing therapeutic and was inspired to write a children's book, Happy Hearts, to help young children understand the passing of a love one. Marina Zlatanova is a Melbourne-based digital designer and illustrator. She immigrated from Bulgaria in the early 90s, and Australia has been her home since. Her dream was always to become an artist, but it wasn’t until her daughter was born in 2015 and she spent many hours reading to a small child that a great love of children’s picture books was rekindled. She wrote Charlie’s Shell, a tale about being happy in the shell you’re in, for her 3 year old, who upon finding an empty shell in the garden, wanted to know why the snail had left it there.