As an artist-illustrator, Patnoe has illustrated over 45 children's books written by other authors, including:
- *Sarah Binks *by Nancy Hundal (1995), which was a Governor General's Literary Award (children's literature) nominee.
- *The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Irish Childhood *by Elvira Woodruff (1995), an American Booksellers Pick of the List title.
- *The Doll's Christmas *by Miriam Toews (1996), which won the Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Award.
- *The Day It Snowed Marshmallows* by Jan Andrews was released in 2006.
Patnoe has written numerous books in her own right:
- *The Long and Difficult Journey of Laura Secord* (2004), a biography of Laura Secord for children.
- *The Day of the Civil War *(2006)
- *100 First Women: Profiles of Canadian Women**(1995), biographical sketches that celebrate the first Canadian women in various fields and occupations.
- *The World: A Global Family Portrait* (1995), profiles of 50 children and their families from different countries.
As an educator, Patnoe has been teaching art and writing courses to children, teens and adults for over 35 years. She is the author of several books on drawing, including:
- *The Art of Drawing: Techniques for Drawing Animals, Landscapes, People and Still Life * (2003)
- *The Young Artist's Guide to Drawing: A Step-by-Step Adventure* (2010)