Writing a book and having it published is no easy feat, no matter your age, but these creative child authors from Preflight Books have done just that!
“This world is but a canvas for our imagination.”
– Henry David Thoreau
These amazing and creative child authors have proven that the world can be your imagination’s canvas. From Jesse’s Amazing Mr Bean, which was inspired by an ordinary green bean from his kitchen, to Aryan’s ‘Wild Relief’, which was influenced by the South African landscape and the wide range of wildlife in South Africa. Read on to find out more about these creative child authors and their books!
Jesse Mbogoma

He was born on the 4th of July 2007. When his mom Deborah Mbogoma first introduced him to books at the age of one, Jesse fell in love with the pictures and the stories. It was at the age of six when he created his first scrapbook that he knew he wanted to become an author. Ever since then, Jesse has been reading, writing, illustrating, and making books, whenever he gets the chance.
Jesse uses his imagination and day-to-day experiences to come up with cool story ideas. He hopes that his books will inspire other children to write amazing stories.
Jesse’s Books
Jesse has published 13 books and has just finished the manuscript of his latest book My lockdown Journal. His personal favourite book is Fred Cool To Be Kind. To order his books, email info@jessembogomafoundation.org. Find out more about Jesse and his books here.

“This is the story of Fred who just joined JCEZ High School. Because everything is still so new to him, Fred is having mixed emotions. He is still trying to figure out how much truth he has been told about life and death.”
Excerpt from Fred Cool To Be Kind
Advice to Aspiring Authors From Jesse
“Success comes from what you aspire to achieve. To be a writer, start by jotting down your imagination and be encouraged to read more. In 365 days, you have a 100% chance to publish a book if you jot down a paragraph daily. Writing is not about how creative you can be with your imagination.”
Jesse Mbogoma
Aryan Naidu

He currently attends high school in Johannesburg and is in Grade 8. He was the school’s 2020 recipient of the Fellowship award for Leadership. Aryan is an accomplished tennis player and has participated in several South African tennis junior tournaments. He is an avid traveller who has visited more than 20 countries and enjoys the outdoors, especially spending time on safari in the South African landscape. He is a proficient and entertaining public speaker and has a wicked sense of humour. Aryan is a natural, self-taught artist and has been producing art since the tender age of two. He started writing short stories at the age of four and completed a series of comic books called Fartypants at the age of nine. To order his book, email drareddy@medisculpt.co.za.

About I Promise Not To Bore You
“My muscles tensed. I stayed motionless. The creature grunted, almost sounding like a camel. I heard it viciously munching on a tomato. I grabbed my Swiss army knife and pocket torch before making my way down to the garden…”
Blurb of I Promise Not To Bore You
Join Aryan on an epic journey you will never forget. Meet mercenaries, mythical heroes, escape artist furry friends and so much more! From Ancient Greece to the depths of the Amazon to the modern schoolyard, these terrific tales transport you around
the world. Written and illustrated by the 12-year-old Aryan, this book won’t bore you…
I promise.
Aryan’s Message to Aspiring Authors
“Do you know those little moments in life where you picture yourself doing something awe-inspiring but find it daunting? Well, I experienced one of those instances during the hard COVID lockdown of 2020 where I did something marvellous while being stuck at home.
If you are a daydreamer like me, then use every opportunity to chronicle your thoughts and you may very well be on the right road to writing a book. Be persistent and never give up, because all you need in the end is a crazy imagination and a keyboard.”
Know a creative child author or have a book you want published?
No matter how old you are, it’s never too late or too early to let your imagination run wild. Preflight books can help you do just that! So put your pen to paper and send us your manuscript.
Request a quote or email us on info@preflightbooks.co.za.