Boy becomes best-selling author with first book

A young boy with long brown hair is smiling into the camera in a head and shoulders shot. He is wearing a grey hoodie with a brown reptile on it and holding up a blue children's book called 'Zach Richardson's Reptile Alphabet' with pictures of reptiles and a tree, sky and sun.Family handout

Zach, 10, published his first book about reptiles on 8 August

Eleanor Maslin
BBC News

A 10-year-old boy from Hull has become a best-selling author on Amazon with his first published book.

Zach wrote and illustrated Zach's Reptile Alphabet: Reptile Facts and Fun Rhymes, a children's book on reptiles which was published on 8 August.

It was ranked as number one on Amazon across three categories - reptiles, reptiles and amphibians (books) and amphibians.

On seeing how well his book had done, Zach said: "It's amazing and a great feeling, I was so proud and speechless."

A young boy with long brown hair and a fringe is smiling into the camera and holding up an open book. The book says 'K is for Komodo Dragon' and has two colourful drawings and a fact file on the right. He is standing against a brick wall and wearing a grey hoodie with black splatters on it.Family handout

Zach's book was written in alphabetical order on different reptiles and includes his own drawings and facts about them

Lucy, Zach's mum, said he first started drawing at the age of four and has grown up surrounded by animals since his dad runs a pet shop.

She said he "mastered drawing very quickly" and she had "always been astounded by his artistic talents."

Zach said he had "always wanted to write a book" especially after his mum wrote one last year.

"My dad and mum have had an interest in reptiles for a long time and when I got my gecko in December last year I started researching about lizards, snakes, crocodilians and turtles."

He added: "I love reptiles and I think people don't like them and you're told to be scared of snakes.

"Reptiles aren't like that, they are beautiful animals."

A boy with long brown hair and a fringe is wearing a black top and has his hand on his shoulder which he is looking at. A sandy coloured gecko is resting on his hand. The background is a red wall.Family handout

Zach started researching more about reptiles when he got his crested gecko Kirk last year

Lucy added: "It's been quite a long project for him as he was bringing me things that weren't publishable but he's been so resilient.

"It's incredible how much effort he's put into it, it's fully deserved."

Zach said he had "way more [ideas] on the way" and wants to stick to the animal theme for his next book on geckos.

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