Hawke's Bay woman Hayley Matthews' dreams come to life in story book

Former Havelock North High School student Hayley Matthews has written a children's book while her husband Chris created the illustrations. Photo / Supplied

Former Havelock North High School student Hayley Matthews' dreams have come alive after having a children's book published.

Now residing in the Gold Coast, Australia, her original intentions were to write stories for her young son, but as ideas bubbled away in her brain Gratia Park Zoo was born.

"I just started making up stories on the spot and realised I was coming up with some good ideas," she said.

The 69-page book contains individual stories about five animals who live at the zoo and help each other with problem solving.

"Every story is fast paced and rhymes with repeating paragraphs to help engage small children."

Matthews said she had always wanted to write a children's book and quickly managed to get a publishing contract through Austin Macauley's Publishing.

About 18 months later, they supplied Matthews with the pictures for her story, but they weren't at all what she had envisioned.

"My husband Chris of 10 years then started doing sketches. He told me he could draw, but in all the years we have been together I'd never seen him draw anything. Soon he was coming up with illustrations that were amazing. The publisher agreed to let him do the illustrations; now we have a book we can treasure together."

Matthews has even entwined a piece of Hawke's Bay into the book with references to Te Mata Peak, a favourite spot for her when she was a child.

"I talk of the Redwood forest in a magical scene with unicorns and Trixie the Zebra (named after my grandmother).

"I'm hoping to get a good reaction from the book. It only went on sale on March 31. Every person I've read the story to has loved it."

The book can be purchased from multiple websites including Amazon, Booktopia, Book depository and Fishpond.