# Dawn McMillan

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New Zealand children's author

Dawn McMillan MNZM McMillan in 2026 Born Te Kūiti Genre Children's picture books Notable works I Need a New Bum! Notable awards Storylines Notable Book Awards (2003, 2013, 2017) Children's Choice Award (2003) Booksellers New Zealand Gold Medal

**Dawn Mary McMillan** [MNZM](/source/Member_of_the_New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit) is a New Zealand children's writer, focusing mainly on picture books and educational material. In December 2025, McMillan was appointed a Member of the [New Zealand Order of Merit](/source/New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit), for services to children's literature.

## Career

McMillan worked as a primary school teacher, before beginning to write for children in the late 1990s.[1] She has written more than forty picture books and over 200 educational works, with her first work, *Sea Secrets*, published in 1998.[1] Her books have been sold internationally, including in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.[1]

Jason, the lead character in *Jason and the Blind Puppy* and *Missing!* (both published 2004), wears hearing aids and uses sign language.[2]

In 2012 McMillan published *[I Need a New Bum!](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Need_a_New_Bum!&action=edit&redlink=1)*, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird, about a boy who is anxious about the crack in his bottom.[3] The book has been translated into seven languages, becoming an international bestseller, and was the first in a series of bum-focused books.[4][5] In 2018, a video of the Australian-based The Scottish Granny reading the book to her grandchild went viral.[3][6] For the book's tenth anniversary, a bilingual English–Māori version was published, titled *Kia Hou Taku Tou.*[7] In 2022, a teacher in [Byram, Mississippi](/source/Byram%2C_Mississippi) was fired for reading the book (published as *I Need a New Butt!* in the US) to his second-grade class*.*[8][9][10] However, in late January 2026 his dismissal was reversed by an [appeals court](/source/Appeals_court).[11]

McMillan is married and lives in [Waiomu](/source/Waiomu), on the [Coromandel Peninsula](/source/Coromandel_Peninsula).[7]

## Honours and awards

Picture book *Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms?*, co-authored with Bert Signal, won a [Storylines Notable Book Award](/source/Storylines_Notable_Book_Awards) in 2003. The book also won the Children's Choice Award in the 2003 [New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults](/source/New_Zealand_Book_Awards_for_Children_and_Young_Adults).[12][13]

McMillan also won Storylines Notable Book Awards in 2013, for *Colour the Stars*, and 2017, for *The Harmonica*.[14]

In the [2026 New Year Honours](/source/2026_New_Year_Honours_(New_Zealand)), McMillan was appointed a Member of the [New Zealand Order of Merit](/source/New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit), for services to children's literature.[1]

McMillan has been awarded a Booksellers New Zealand Gold Medal.[1]

## Selected works

- *Sea Secrets* (1998)

- *Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms?* (2003)

- *Colour the Stars* (2013)

- *The Harmonica* (2017)

### The New Bum Series

- *I Need a New Bum!* (2012), illustrated by Ross Kinnaird, published as *I Need a New Butt!* in the US in 2014 by Dover[5]

- *I've Broken My Bum!*

- *My Bum is SO NOISY!*

- *My Bum is SO CHEEKY!*

- *My Bum’s ON THE RUN!*

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) ["New Year Honours List 2026 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)"](https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2026-mnzm). *www.dpmc.govt.nz*. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Pajka, Sharon (1 September 2007). ["Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature: International Children's Books with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Characters"](https://pajka.blogspot.com/2007/09/international-childrens-books-with-deaf.html). *Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) ["I Need A New Bum!"](https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/bookfinder/i-need-a-new-bum/). *BookTrust*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Dawn McMillan - Writer's Files • Read NZ Te Pou Muramura"](https://www.read-nz.org/writers-files/writer/mcmillan-dawn). *www.read-nz.org*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_5-1) Hirata, Daisuke (19 September 2022). ["Happy 10th Birthday to I Need a New Bum! | Oratia Media"](https://oratia.co.nz/childrens-books/happy-10th-birthday-to-i-need-a-new-bum/). Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Wetter, Erica (18 December 2018). ["The Scottish Granny Cracks Up and Another Book Becomes a Bestseller"](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/78864-the-scottish-granny-cracks-up-and-another-book-becomes-a-bestseller.html). *PublishersWeekly.com*. Retrieved 7 January 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_7-1) Booklovers, N. Z. (9 August 2022). ["Interview: Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird talk about Kia Hou Taku Tou"](https://www.nzbooklovers.co.nz/post/interview-dawn-macmillan-and-ross-kinnaird-talk-about-kia-hou-taku-tou). *nzbooklovers*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Braunias, Steve (12 February 2023). ["Teacher sacked in culture wars fracas"](https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/02/12/teacher-sacked-in-culture-wars-fracas/). *Newsroom*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Jones, Kyndall (19 September 2025). ["Court hears fired Hinds County assistant principal's case"](https://www.wapt.com/article/oral-arguments-to-begin-in-former-hinds-county-assistant-principals-firing-case/66929935). *WAPT*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["I Need a New Butt!, I Broke My Butt!, My Butt is So NOISY!"](https://store.doverpublications.com/products/9780486848631). *Dover Publications*. Retrieved 8 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Kirk, Rylee (29 January 2026). ["Educator Who Read 'I Need a New Butt!' to Students Wins Job Back in Court"](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/us/new-butt-book-appeal.html?smid=nytcore-android-share). *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)*. Retrieved 31 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2003Awards_12-0)** ["2003 Awards"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130731004430/http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards/2003-Awards). *New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards*. Wellington, New Zealand: Booksellers New Zealand. 28 September 2011. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [182896192](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/182896192). Archived from [the original](http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards/2003-Awards) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ChchLibNZPostChildrensChoice_13-0)** ["New Zealand Post Children's Choice Award"](http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/LiteraryPrizes/NZPost/Choice/). Christchurch, New Zealand: [Christchurch City Libraries](/source/Christchurch_City_Libraries). 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Dawn McMillan - Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust"](https://www.storylines.org.nz/search-profiles/dawn-mcmillan/profiles/). *www.storylines.org.nz*. Retrieved 2 January 2026.

## External links

- [The Scottish Granny reading *I Need a New Bum!*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQoYjU2Fh0M), 22 September 2018, via YouTube

- [Dawn McMillan on using humour to engage young readers](https://web.archive.org/web/20230302201108/https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201788524/dawn-mcmillan-on-using-humour-to-engage-young-readers), [Radio New Zealand](/source/Radio_New_Zealand) interview with McMillan, 9 February 2016

- *[Author’s work is all for the children](https://www.valleyprofile.co.nz/2025/12/31/authors-work-is-all-for-the-children/)*, 31 December 2025

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dawn McMillan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_McMillan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_McMillan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.