Robert Alexander
I grew up in a small town in Surrey in the late 1970s and 80s, spending much of my childhood outdoors with my friends on our skateboards and BMX bikes, building camps and walking our spaniels in the woods with my sister. When I wasn’t outside, I was usually listening to music, watching films, gaming, or getting lost in stories.
At fourteen I went to boarding school, where I particularly loved sport, friendship and the camaraderie, and I occasionally got into trouble thanks to a mischievous sense of humour! Music, film and creativity were always constants for me, even as life took a few unexpected turns.
I never planned to become a children’s author, but communication and storytelling have been central to my working life for over thirty years. I built a long career helping entrepreneurial businesses all over the world grow by finding them the best people for their teams.
Reading to my two daughters when they were toddlers, really brought stories back to the centre of my life and reminded me of my own childhood and just how magical storytelling can be. Great music and animation have also played a huge part too, with both of them. It's been so wonderful introducing them to all of our favourites and seeing their reactions hearing and seeing things for the first time!
In 2009, after attending a "Ray Gelato & The Giants" swing and jazz concert with my wife Lisa, I wrote a playful limerick that eventually became "The Raccoon from Rangoon". When I decided to turn it into a picture book in 2024, I teamed up with illustrator Andrew S. Gray. His vast knowledge, creativity, and infectious enthusiasm helped bring the story fully to life and that was when I realised I wanted to be an author.
The book then inspired a fully produced swing jazz song, "I Am Raccoon", recorded and produced with incredibly talented musicians Andrew DeLong, Harry Greene and Joe Taylor, and followed up by an audiobook narrated by acclaimed actress Claudia Harrison.
Today I create stories and music designed for children and parents to enjoy together. I believe books and songs should be made with authenticity, energy, love and humour, and never lose that spark of magic that childhood is all about. My hope is that each story inspires children to keep going no matter what they are faced with, believe in themselves, and discover what they are truly capable of. And as I say to my girls every night "Dream Big... Dream Huuuuge!!"
I am currently working on new adventures in the same song and story format, I can't wait to share them with you!
🎬Behind The Scenes!
Before these stories and songs ever land on your bookshelf, they begin as slightly crazy ideas bouncing around inside my head. Then they become rough verses scribbled in my notebook (usually with more than a few spelling mistakes)! ✍️😆
Sometimes I spend days or even weeks at a time editing and refining a story or song until it's just right. Other times, I leave it alone for months before returning to it with fresh eyes and new ideas. In fact, I usually have several half-finished stories and songs on the go at any one time!
Once a story is finally finished, those words are transformed into messy ink splatters in Andrew S Gray's greenhouse (yes, that's genuinely where he likes to draw!). 🎨🌿 We often spend hours on video calls discussing characters, storylines, illustrations and all the little details that help bring each adventure to life. It's great fun imagining an entire world from scratch and deciding exactly how it should look and feel.
And then... earphones on. 🎧
That's when the audio fun begins as I head into Andrew DeLong's small-but-mighty studio with Andrew and Harry to create the songs, sound effects and audiobooks that bring our characters and adventures to life in full stereo sound! 🦝🎶
From the first spark of an idea to the finished book, audiobook and soundtrack, we pour our hearts and souls into creating sensational stories, amazing artwork and magical music for children and families to cherish forever.
❤️ We hope you enjoy reading, listening and singing along as much as we've enjoyed creating them!
Love from The Robert Alexander Books Team 🫶
Keep in Touch
Whether you're a parent looking for a screen-free story to enjoy with your child, a bookshop owner searching for exciting new titles, a librarian stocking your shelves, or a primary teacher planning a high-energy assembly, I'd love to connect and help bring the magic of storytelling to life. 📚✨🦝🎵