Our Jacko

A deeply personal and tender story of war, peace and those who are left behind. One hundred years after the war to end all wars, Jacko’s descendants discover his notebook and the untold stories tucked in its pages.

"This war is a nightmare that one day I shall wake from and then forget. And if I don't wake, then you shall never know. I don't want you ever to know."

No one seems to know where the scruffy tin hat came from – just that it is very old, from some war or other long ago. To young Michael and his family it has its uses today: as a child’s toy, a feeding bowl for the hens, a hanging basket...

Then Michael discovers that it belonged to his great-great-grandfather, “Our Jacko”, who lost his life at Ypres in 1915. As the boy digs deeper, he finds the young soldier's diary and learns more about his forgotten ancestor – husband, father, poet, actor – who died so tragically young. And it becomes clear exactly how Our Jacko should be commemorated.

About the Illustrator

David Gentleman is an artist, illustrator, designer and author. His books include David Gentleman's Britain and related books on London, the British coastline, Paris, India and Italy. He is also known for his wood engraved platform-length mural at Charing Cross, one of London's most striking underground station designs, and has designed British postage stamps and coins. David's work is represented in Tate Britain, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum amongst many others.