The Story So Far

2025

  • Guest judge, Shirley Hughes Sketchbook Award
  • Shortlisted for the Inclusive Books For Children Award (UK)
  • Shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize (UK)
  • Head of HarperCollins Author Academy

2024

  • Guest judge, Shirley Hughes Sketchbook Award
  • Longlisted for the Carnegie awards, UK
  • Shortlisted for the Inclusive Books For Children Award (UK)
  • Longlisted for the Derby Childrens picture Book Award (UK)

2023

  • Nominated, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. (ALMA)

2022

  • Made Patron of CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education)
  • Illustrator of CLiPPA award winner, “Stars With Flaming Tales”
  • Nominated for the Astrid Lingren Memorial Award (ALMA)
  • Made Patron of the Jericho Prize (UK)

2021

  • Publisher Kumusha Books, Harper Collins Children’s Books (UK) first imprint

2020

  • Nominated, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
  • Winner of STEAM AWARD for Early Years Picturebooks 2020 
  • World Book Day Steering Committee
  • Judge, Wales Book of the Year 2020
  • Bank Street College (USA) – 20 best books of the Year 
  • Launched 17Promises magazine in partnership with United Nations, Govt of Zimbabwe

2019

  • Nominated- Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Awards 2019 (UK)
  • Mentor, Pathways into Publishing
  • Included in ‘Breaking New Ground’ publication as one of the most influential black authors/illustrators in the UK
  • Honourable Mention, Moveable Books Society Meggendorfer Prize for Best Paper Engineering (US)

2017

  • Owner & publisher, Alanna Max 

2015

  • Awarded one of the 50 best books on diversity in the last 50 years by the Guardian Newspaper
  • Centre for Literature in Primary Education core list (Early Years) UK
  • African American Literature Bookclub (AALB) Top 154 Recommended African-American Children’s Books 

2014

  • Launched Chicken Newspaper for Children. A quarterly printed tabloid-sized publication for primary school children.

1994

  • First books for Children published

1984

  • Silver Medal for illustration- Brno Biennale, probably the youngest person ever to win.