Bio
Jacinta Daniher is a mother, a preschool teacher, and an author with a deep passion for creating stories that celebrate individuality and creativity. Together with her husband, Taylor Hampton, they have written several children’s books which include:
- ‘Our Mob’ (2023) Ford Publishing
A children’s book that explores the cultural identities of 14 different children, which has been recognized as a notable book for 2024 by the Children’s Book Association of Australia. - ‘Our Dance’ (2025) Hachette Australia
A joyful celebration of First Nations culture and Australia’s unique animals through dance and music, with rhyming actions to get young readers moving and vibrant illustrations from Noongar illustrator Janelle Burger. Learn how to dance and then follow along to the accompanying song. - ‘My Dreamtime Match’ (2026)
Join one boy and his team as they play the Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which celebrates the contribution of First Nations culture to AFL. - The World in our words 2 – Poetry Anthology (2026)
The poem ‘Pear and Pine’ which explores colonisation in Australia through a botanical metaphor.
Trigger Warning
To my Ella, to my Arlo,
There is no mould that was made for you,
no shape you must be pressed into.
Be extraverted, fill the room,
let your laughter lead the way.
Be introverted, guard your quiet,
let your stillness have its say.
Be neurodivergent, wired in wonder,
your mind a map no one else can read.
Be neurotypical, walk the worn path,
either way, you are everything I need.
Be loud, be wild, take up your space,
let them hear you from the street.
Be shy, be soft, speak when you’re ready,
a whisper is no less complete.
Be funny, turn the world to light,
make strangers feel like friends.
Be serious, carry the weight of things,
some truths need careful tending.
Be impatient, chase what burns in you,
don’t wait for the world to say go.
Be calm, be still, be the eye of the storm,
sometimes peace is the bravest thing to know.
Be brave, step out beyond the ledge
when everything in you says stay.
Be scared its ok,
and do the thing anyway.
Be all of this. Be none of it.
Be something I haven’t named.
Be changing, be growing, be lost sometimes,
you will never, ever be a shame.
The only thing I ask of you,
the only request I’ve ever had…
Be you.
Completely, messily, beautifully you.
That is always, always enough.
Love Mum