Jake Alexander
Children's Author/Illustrator
Biography
Jake Alexander is an illustrator and author from the South of England. He finds inspiration in finding the narratives in places, the everyday and the connections between people. When he’s not working, he spends his time absorbing useless information about Star Wars or watching reruns of Diagnosis Murder with his cat. In 2019 he won both the Macmillan Children’s Book Prize and the Creative Conscience Gold Medal.
His debut picture book We Want Our Books came out in June 2021 and later that year, he contributed to an illustrated adaption of Historian and Broadcaster David Olusoga’s book Black and British.
Mahitha and the Dragon
Mahitha hardly ever says a word at school, and when she does, she says it so softly that nobody notices her at all.
When Mahitha’s teacher asks her to read a story out loud in class, she can barely speak above a whisper. It isn’t until she is whisked away to a magical land — helping Queen Gagana retrieve her lost pearl and learning to confront dragons — that she is finally able to find her voice.
A beautiful story on standing up for yourself and finding the confidence to use your voice.
Publications
Selected Publications
A defiant, moving and joyful picture book about the power of protest and the importance of books.
From the winner of the Macmillan Prize 2019, We Want Our Books is a stunningly illustrated story that shows how any child has the power to change the world.
Rosa wants a book. But when she gets to the library, she finds it is closed. What could be the end of the story is just the beginning, as Rosa and her sister Maria try everything they can think of to bring their community together and fight to get back their precious library.
A picture book that features big subjects in a child-friendly way, with beautiful artwork, making this the perfect discussion starter for curious children. From debut author and illustrator, Jake Alexander, winner of the Creative Conscience Gold Medal.
