Author Spotlight: Samara Dixon on Printing Australian Wildlife Stories for Young Readers

From a single drawing on the fridge to a full series of heartwarming children’s books, author and illustrator Samara Dixon’s journey is a story of creativity, kindness, and self-belief, all beautifully brought to life in print.

There's something pretty special about books that come from the heart, and Samara Dixon's collection of Australian wildlife stories are exactly that. Since partnering with us to print her debut illustrated children's book, Willow, The Bare-Nosed Wombat, Samara has been on a mission to share the stories of our native animals with young readers across the country, bringing them to life through both her words and illustrations.

It feels fitting to share this interview on International Wombat Day, a celebration that's close to Samara's heart, given that Willow was the wombat who started it all.

Her latest addition, Felix, The Eastern Grey Kangaroo, continues a tradition that began not in a writer's studio, but in the earnest work of animal rescue and rehabilitation. Both Willow and Felix became titular characters of Samara's growing bibliography as they are inspired by real animals she's met and helped nurse back to health for release into the wild whilst volunteering at a local animal shelter. From sketching these animals to crafting their stories for the page, Samara's dual role as author and illustrator means every detail rings true.

We sat down with Samara to chat about her journey from wildlife volunteer to artist and published author, the inspiration behind her books, and why she chose to print with us from day one.

Bringing Heart to Print: Q&A with Samara Dixon

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to create your children’s book series?

A: I’ve always loved drawing, especially from children’s books when I was little. But for a long time, I stopped — someone once told me I wasn’t good at it, and that really knocked my confidence.

Everything changed during the 2019–2020 bushfires. I had recently started volunteering weekly at a wildlife shelter, Access Wildlife, and two days after New Year’s Eve they contacted me — that’s when I met Willow, a baby wombat who had been separated from her mother. I had never seen a baby wombat before! She was so cheeky and clumsy, and I fell in love with her straightaway. You quickly learn that wombats are a bit like dogs, they’re really cheeky!

At the time, I had two kids, and one day my daughter drew a picture of Willow and put it on the fridge. And I decided that I would draw one too and also popped it on the fridge. That moment is what gave me the idea for my first book, Willow. The shelter was entirely self-funded, so I decided to write and illustrate the story to help raise money for them. Proceeds from the book went straight back to the shelter.

After Willow was released, I had people asking for cards with other animals, which led to more drawings, and before I knew it, I had more books to print and publish.

Q: Your latest release, Felix, was also inspired by an Eastern Grey Kangaroo you met while volunteering. What’s his story?

A: Felix is based on a real joey who came into the shelter after being dropped from 20 metres by an eagle, after getting spooked by horses on the property. The property owner’s dog, a blue heeler, ran over to protect Felix in case the eagle came back until someone could come help him. He was tiny and fragile, but somehow had no breaks or fractures and he survived!

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His story really stuck with me. It took 3 years to write and complete all the drawings for Felix, and I wanted this story to share his strength and resilience and encourage kids to look after themselves. Eat your greens and drink your milk so you can be strong like Felix, and get through anything that comes at you. 

Q: What themes do your other books explore?

A: Willow is all about kindness and showing compassion as we helped her reunite with her mother, and also to teach kids about animal shelters because not many people know what they are and they actually do. 

‍Hello and Hello Too are a bit different to Willow and Felix because they’re more about helping children discover Australian native wildlife. I got the idea when I realised that I had been drawing art cards for a range of different animals after Willow, and thought that a book with a peekaboo style would be great so kids can try to guess which animal will be introduced on the next page.

Q: What is your writing and illustration process like?

A: I actually work full-time as an accountant, so my creative work happens after hours (instead of Netflix!). For Willow, after the first drawing I wrote the story and planned which drawings I would need to do for each page. I followed a similar process for Felix where I planned out how the story will be told in verses so I knew what drawings were needed.

All my illustrations are done with Caran d’Ache pencils, and each drawing takes about three days to complete. I often illustrate from photos I’ve taken myself as well, for example, the rainbow lorikeet in Hello Too is from a photo I took when I saw it at the St Kilda Esplanade.

Q: How do you approach designing and preparing your books for print?

I’m self-taught in Adobe InDesign and learned everything through trial and error. For Felix, I actually built a full design template from scratch with borders, layouts, and everything — to keep the series consistent. I wanted each cover to have the same border with a different shade of soft green-blue hue so that they can be identifiable as “Samara Dixon” books.

I did initially get some help from a guy who had published for other authors, but more so for guidance or to validate that I was on the right track. For certain things like getting an ISBN number, generating a barcode and where I should print my book, which is how I initially found FolioFox! 

I chose a square format because I thought it looked cool, and it was unique. When I saw and touched the velvet soft-touch laminate sample, I knew it was perfect. It feels premium and child-friendly at the same time.

Q: What was your experience like working with FolioFox to print your books?

A: When I first started, I had no idea what a bleed or a spine was! The team at FolioFox, especially Mel and Jeanette, were incredible. They walked me through everything, helped me fix my files, and made sure my books looked exactly how I imagined.

I’ve learned so much from that process. Now I have my own templates for future books, and I’m confident setting up everything myself.

Q: As your books gained traction, how did your printing needs and business priorities change, and how did FolioFox help you navigate that?

The shelter I first supported has since closed, and what began as a fundraiser has grown into a small business. Of course, like many small businesses in the last year, with interest rates changing and lower disposable incomes meant I wasn’t making as many sales. I had to adapt and consider the cost of my suppliers, so I did some shopping around for other printing companies but not many printers printed square books or had the same level of quality.  

FolioFox helped me find the right balance between quality and cost. Initially they suggested printing the books in a smaller size but I wanted to keep the books as-is. So they suggested a higher print run to reduce my unit prices and that ended up being the best solution and it made a huge difference. My next step as a business is looking into a book distributor to get my book available to buy in more places around Melbourne.

Q: What kind of feedback have you received from readers?

Everyone also comments on the finish and quality of my books, like the thickness of the paper, the soft-touch cover, the silk-like texture of the pages. People always say how professional they look.

Q: How has your series grown since your first book?

A: Since launching Willow, I’ve sold over 1,000 books and around 4,000 art cards. I started selling my books at local markets on the Mornington Peninsula, but now I’m mainly at St Kilda Esplanate Market every Sunday, which is great because there’s always new visitors and tourists.

It’s also led to some new opportunities. I had the privilege of being an artist at the Warriors 4 Wildlife's NGV school holiday program, where about a thousand kids came to draw from my books. Seeing them connect with my stories like that was just amazing.

Q: What inspires you day to day?

A: I love art, animals, and doing things that make the world a little better each day. My books are about kindness, love, and caring for the world around us.

If I had to describe my journey in three words, they’d be: Inspire. Love. Hope.

Continuing the Journey Together

Samara's dedication to telling authentic Australian animal stories, born from genuine care and hands-on experience, makes her work stand out in children's literature. As both author and illustrator, she brings a completeness to her vision that's rare, ensuring every brushstroke and word choice honours the real animals that inspired them.

Her success speaks for itself. With over 1,000 books sold, school holiday art workshops run for hundreds of children at the NGV, and a regular Sunday spot at St Kilda Esplanade Market where she shares her stories and connects with readers, Samara has built something truly special. She's not just creating books, she's fostering a genuine love for Australian wildlife in the next generation.

It's been a privilege to support her journey from that first print run of Willow through to Felix and beyond, helping bring her beautifully illustrated stories to life on the page.

We're proud to be part of this adventure, working alongside Samara to ensure each book does justice to the native Australian wildlife that continue to capture her imagination and the hearts of young readers everywhere.

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If you're an author-illustrator with a story to tell, we'd love to help you bring it to print. Get in touch to discuss your next project.

Project Specifications:

• Internal/Text Pages: 170gsm Standard Silk
• Cover: 350gsm Standard Silk + Velvet Soft-Touch Laminate
• Finish Size: 260mm square 
• Binding: PUR Perfect Binding
• Full-Colour Digital Printing by FolioFox, printed & bound in Melbourne, Australia.