Selina Alko

It’s no wonder that award-winning writer and illustrator Selina Alko spends her days blending words with mixed-media art to tell stories of hope, identity, and alternative perspectives. Raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Selina grew up immersed in culture and creativity. Her Turkish Jewish father—a painter and polyglot who spoke seven languages—and her Jewish mother, who worked in the family’s century-old metal recycling business, filled her world with rich stories, diverse viewpoints, and an appreciation for both art and resilience.

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As a child, Selina and her entire family would attend her father’s painting classes, studying 19th-century Impressionists and German Expressionists. These sessions, which included copying masterpieces in acrylics, doubled as vivid art history lessons and gave her an early understanding of the emotional power of color.

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Her love of books was just as formative. She devoured stories by Richard Scarry, Beverly Cleary, and Judy Blume (her all-time favorite), while summers at a Jewish sleep-away camp sparked both her passion for folk music and her social activist spirit.

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The creative influences of her childhood—infused with culture, history, and empathy—continue to inform Selina’s work. She brings these layers to each of her acclaimed children’s books, including The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage, Sharing Shalom, Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mama, B is for Brooklyn, I is for Immigrants, and Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell.

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When asked what advice she’d give aspiring writers, Selina says:

“Write what is closest to your heart. What do you care about? What excites you? What makes you feel sad?”

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For more than two decades, Selina has called Brooklyn home, where she continues to find daily inspiration—in the rhythm of city streets, in her native Canada, and in the small but universal moments she observes as a parent. When she’s not working on a new book, you’ll likely find her reading, hiking, collaging in her sketchbook, or dance-walking through Prospect Park.