PHOTO: Colin van Dongen, award-winning storyteller, brings imagination to life through heartwarming adventures co-created with his daughter, Mia.
A Magical Father-Daughter Journey That Inspires Young Readers Around the World
Colin and Mia van Dongen co-author the Winston the Titan Terrier series, blending creativity, family bonding, and life lessons to encourage children’s imaginations while promoting unplugged, adventure-filled reading experiences.
Colin van Dongen is no stranger to creative innovation. An award-winning storyteller with a background spanning oceanography, animation, advertising, and extreme sports videography, he has channelled his multifaceted experiences into a meaningful mission: co-authoring children’s books with his daughter, Mia van Dongen. Together, they form a beloved father-daughter duo bringing adventure, imagination, and heart to young readers through the Winston the Titan Terrier series.
What began as a spontaneous idea during a quiet moment at home blossomed into an award-winning collaboration. At just five years old, Mia joined her father in creating Winston the Titan Terrier: The Cosmic Bone, a vibrant tale featuring a brave Boston Terrier guided by a celestial force. Mia’s inspiration? Their real-life dog, Winston—adorable, snack-loving, and full of personality. For Mia, the most exciting part was seeing her ideas come to life through her dad’s artwork and winning a Gold Literary Titan Award. She also became the first student in her school to receive the “Agent of Change” badge for making a positive impact.
Colin van Dongen is a visionary storyteller whose heartfelt creativity and dynamic collaborations ignite imagination and inspire a love for reading.
The spark that ignited this literary journey came from a quote by Glennon Doyle that deeply resonated with Colin. It emphasised the importance of preserving boredom as a fertile ground for creativity in children—a philosophy that shaped both their storytelling and their lifestyle. With that vision, Colin and Mia embraced unplugged creativity, stepping away from screens and into a world of shared imagination.
Their process, as Colin describes, is both humbling and exhilarating. Mia’s unfiltered creativity often drives the narrative, pushing Colin to expand beyond conventional storytelling techniques. Their first book broke creative barriers, and they’re now gearing up for the release of Winston the Titan Terrier: Adventures in Ancient Egypt, coming June 2025. This next instalment will see Winston battling a time-twisting villain named SadFace—a grumpy toy octopus brought to life through role-play—who unleashes prehistoric dinosaurs into Cleopatra’s timeline.
The series isn’t just fun and games—it’s rooted in values. Through Winston’s escapades, readers are encouraged to never give up, to value friendship, and to face life’s challenges with courage and creativity. The father-daughter team have also launched WinstonBooks.com, a platform that extends the reading experience with educational tools, activities, and future stories by both themselves and fellow authors.
Mia’s favorite moment in The Cosmic Bone? When Winston uses his rainbow-colored Bubblegum Cannon to defeat the mischievous ninja cat, Smokestrike—a scene she imagined vividly and joyfully. Colin, meanwhile, drew on his oceanic experiences to build intense action scenes, applying over two decades of animation and design knowledge to illustrate their stories using both traditional and emerging technologies.
To other writers, Colin offers practical advice: start rough, storyboard fast, and let young voices lead. Embrace flexibility, allow time for idea exploration, and always seek honest feedback. Most importantly, he says, storytelling with a child is about connection, imagination, and letting creativity run wild.
Colin and Mia van Dongen aren’t just creating children’s books—they’re fostering a new kind of storytelling legacy, one built on family, imagination, and the joy of shared discovery.
This article was adapted from an interview with Colin van Dongen and Mia van Dongen in the latest issue of Reader’s House.
