By Aryani Siti
I’m Aryani Siti, an Early Childhood Educator from Indonesia, now living near Altona Beach with my Finnish partner and our tuxedo cat. While I’ve always loved reading historical fiction, in recent years, I’ve discovered a new passion—creating children’s books inspired by the small, everyday moments I share with the children in my care.
Storytime is one of my favourite parts of the day. I often find inspiration in the children’s experiences and our simple conversations during play. These chats inspire my imagination and help me create fun, engaging stories that reflect their world.
For example, one day during a story session, I asked the children what story they wanted to hear. One child excitedly said, “A crocodile!” I asked what colour, and they said, “Blue!” What does it eat, I asked. “Chocolate cake!” And finally, I asked, “What should we name it?” “Snap Snap!” And that’s how the story of Snappy, the Blue Crocodile was born! It’s incredible how a simple chat can evolve into a fun, imaginative story.
Another inspiration came from the daisies in my backyard. One day, as I admired the flowers, they seemed to whisper to me, ‘Write about us!’ And so, A Garden Full of Love was born. The story features Maia, a young girl who loves gardening with her mum. In the story, Maia plants daisies to surprise her mum, and when the flowers bloom, both Maia and her mum feel the warmth of love and kindness growing between them. It’s a simple reminder that when we care for each other, we grow closer.
Creating these stories is a true joy but bringing them to life wouldn’t be possible without the talented illustrators I work with. In 2023, I began collaborating with illustrator Sienna Ham to bring my stories to life. I’m fortunate to work with amazing artists like Sienna, Hana Ayubkhan (who illustrated A Garden Full of Love), and Ana Dukic (who illustrated Christmas Ducklings). The idea for Christmas Ducklings came from a fun moment with the children while decorating the Christmas tree. Instead of a star on top, one child suggested placing a duckling toy. This inspired the idea for the story, which has now been shared with families through Hobsons Bay libraries.
Another project I’m incredibly proud of is Kind Friends, Happy Hearts, a story about an elephant and a giraffe learning the joys of friendship and sharing. This story was inspired by a little boy’s request for a story about an elephant and a giraffe, and it came to life with beautiful illustrations and a Portuguese translation by Tyson Chiceri.
I am beyond grateful to see my stories come to life and be shared with the community. Currently, I have 22 children’s books available to borrow at libraries throughout Hobsons Bay. Some of my books are bilingual, available in Italian, Portuguese, Serbian, and soon in Spanish and Japanese.
The process of bringing each book to life is ongoing, with illustrations in progress for some titles. It’s amazing to think how simple conversations with children, full of imagination and wonder, can turn into beautiful stories enjoyed by families everywhere.
Being part of the homegrown children’s author community in Hobsons Bay is a dream come true. It’s an honour to contribute to the literary world and see my books enjoyed by so many young readers. As an educator, my goal is to create stories that encourage children to explore their world, embrace kindness, and celebrate their unique creativity. I’m excited to create more stories that will inspire the children I work with—and many others too.
