John Burningham was born in 1936. He studied illustration at the Central School of Art. His first children's book, Borka, was published in 1963, and it was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal as the best illustrated book of the year. John Burningham collaborated with Ian Fleming on Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, designing the model of the famous car. He lived in London with his wife Helen Oxenbury, also a well-known author and illustrator. John Burningham died on January 4th, 2019.

John Burningham

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Every day, John Patrick sets off along the road to school, and although he hurries, strange and improbable happenings repeatedly make him late. To make things worse, his teacher never believes his story.

John Patrick Norman McHennessy

The Boy Who Was Always Late

Would you rather have breakfast with bears, lunch with a lion or dinner with ducks? 
 
Would you like to fly with the pelicans or swim with the fish? 
 
Ask – and answer – these questions and many more in this funny, imaginative game of a book, perfect for fans of You Choose! 
 
John Burningham is a bestselling creator who has been delighting families with his imaginative books for generations. 
 
More books by John Burningham: 
 
Avocado Baby 
Would You Rather 
Mr Gumpy's Outing

More Would You Rather

In the house there lives a family: a mum, a dad, a girl and a boy. But they are not alone; a secret mouse family is living there too, who only come out when everyone else is asleep. 
 
One day they are spotted and the mouse catcher is called ... Will they escape in time? 
 
A story of home and hope from picture-book genius, John Burningham.

Mouse House

A classic story celebrating the power of babies... and avocados! 
 
The Hargraves family want their new baby to grow up big and strong. But the puny mite will hardly eat a thing... until Mrs Hargraves finds an avocado in the fruit bowl and the baby gobbles it up. Soon, the baby gets incredible strength, and the strangest things start to happen! 
 
This classic story from the bestselling author and illustrator John Burningham has been delighting families for over 40 years. 
 
“Amusing for adults, impressive for toddlers, good for greengrocers” The Observer 
 
“John Burningham is one of the most outstanding author-illustrators of children’s books today . . .” Twentieth-Century Children’s Writers 
 
John Burningham is the much-loved creator of Mr Gumpy's Outing and Would You Rather.

Avocado Baby

One day Mr Gumpy went out on his boat. 
"May we come with you?" said the children. 
"Yes," said Mr Gumpy, "if you don't squabble." 
 
When Mr Gumpy goes on a boat trip, the children, the rabbit, the cat and the pig want to come too! But as more and more friends join, the boat starts to rock... will Mr Gumpy manage to keep his boat afloat? 
 
This classic story from bestselling creator John Burningham has been delighting families for generations. 
 
More stories from John Burningham: 
 
Avocado Baby 
Would You Rather 
Mr Gumpy's Motor Car 
Mr Gumpy's Rhino

Mr Gumpy's Outing

John Burningham brings us this poetic tale about a special friendship between a lonely girl and her secret friend, Aldo. With Aldo around, sunshine and laughter fill the little girl's life and she forgets her everyday fears.

Aldo

A brand new Mr Gumpy story from picture-book legend, John Burningham 
 
Mr Gumpy is off on an adventure! This time he’s rescuing a rhino who’s lost its parents… But growing rhinos needs lots of food. Will Charlie the rhino and Mr Gumpy manage to make a happy home together? 
 
A madcap adventure for children, adults and rhinos alike from the creator of Would You Rather and Avocado Baby. 
 
Praise for Mr Gumpy’s Outing – winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 
“A story of real drama observed with gentle humour” Guardian

Mr Gumpy's Rhino

Brought to you by Puffin. 
 
A brand new audio collection featuring ten of John Burningham's classic stories. Read by Alexander Armstrong. 
 
Celebrate the power of babies (and avocados!) with Avocado Baby, and join Borka the goose on her adventures, amongst so much more in these beloved stories. 
 
This collection includes: 'Would You Rather', 'Oi Get Off Our Train', 'Motor Miles', 'The Shopping Basket', 'Borka', 'Husherbye', 'Courtney', 'Avocado Baby', 'Aldo' and 'More Would You Rather'. 
 
(c) 1963, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2016, 2018 John Burningham (P) 2025 Penguin Audio.

Avocado Baby and Other Stories

Would you rather drink snail squash or eat mashed worms? Help a witch make stew? Tickle a monkey? Or maybe - if you could really be anyone or do anything in the world - would you rather just be . . . you? 
 
With plenty of scenarios to choose from, every reading experience is different - creating a classic book that children will enjoy again and again! 
 
John Burningham is a bestselling author and illustrator whose books have been delighting families for over 40 years. 
 
"The language of children is Burningham's." - TES 
"He is one of the best writers in the business." - Financial Times

Would You Rather?

Kenneth Grahame

The entertaining riverbank exploits of Mole, Water Rat, Badger and the incorrigible Toad. 
 
When Mole goes boating with Ratty instead of doing his spring-cleaning, he discovers a whole new world. As well as adventures on the river and in the Wild Wood, there are high jinks on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad become the firmest of friends, but after Toad's latest escapade, can they join together and beat the wretched weasels once and for all? 
 
Kenneth Grahame began to tell the tale of the river bank on the night of his son's fourth birthday, but what started out as a short bedtime story soon grew into one of the most enjoyable series of adventures ever to be told in children's literature. 
This beautiful edition is illustrated by renowned picture book artist John Burningham, whose wonderfully evocative line drawings marry perfectly with Graham's vivid text. And there are twelve glorious full-colour scenes, full of detail, to enjoy over again and again.

The Wind in the Willows

Illustrated by John Burningham

Miles is a very difficult dog... Until he is given his very own motor car and learns to love the open road! 
 
This enigmatic story is a joy to read, gently exploring the transformational power of freedom. John's distinctive, expressive artwork is stunning, whether it's his instantly recognisable characters or the expansive, contemplative spreads of colour, as Miles discovers the joys of the road. This is a story that children will immediately engage with, while parents absorb the magically nostalgic air and subtle celebration of change and growing up.

Motor Miles

Mr Gumpy has decided to go for a ride in his motor car. It's a nice day and the sun is shining, so off he goes. But he only gets as far as the lane before the children, the rabbit, the cat, the dog, the pig, the sheep, the chickens, the calf and the goat ask if they can come along too. As the motor car and its passengers make their way across the field, the weather begins to turn and the rain is soon pouring down. The tyres cannot grip the muddy ground, so Mr Gumpy asks for volunteers to push the car. But everyone has an excuse, until it gets so bad that they all have to get out and help. Eventually, the sun shines once more as they drive across the bridge - and there's time for a swim on the way home.

Mr Gumpy's Motor Car

Georgie has got a new bed, but it's not like other beds. For each night, Georgie says the magic word and it whisks him away on a fantastic adventure. He loves his bed, but one day he and his family go on holiday, and when they come back, Granny has a big surprise for Georgie . . .

The Magic Bed

Granpa nurses his granddaughter's dolls, mistakes her strawberry-flavoured pretend ice-cream for chocolate, takes her tobogganing in the snow, and falls in with her imaginary plans to captain a ship to Africa, like all good Granpa's should. It is a friendship that children who read this book will long remember.

Granpa

Oi! Get Off Our Train

Steven is sent out for groceries on to the mean street of the city with only a shopping basket for protection. There are several shady characters about who are offering to lighten the load of the basket by helping themselves to his provisions! Stephen's having none of it and with the help of some of the city's less attractive sights he outsmarts all of them and makes it home in time for tea. With the pictures telling as much of the story as the text, children and adults alike will appreciate the humour and observations from this well known children's author.

The Shopping Basket

Hare, Hippopotamus and Elephant live together, but not happily, for Hippopotamus and Elephant are forever teasing poor Hare. One day, Hare decides to teach his friends a lesson, and so the great tug of war begins ...

Tug of War

Once upon a time there were two geese called Mr and Mrs Plumpster. Each Spring they returned to the marshes of their ancestors, and Mrs Plumpster laid her eggs. Soon six fine young Plumpsters hatched: Archie, Freda, Jennifer, Oswald, Timothy and Borka. But Borka was different. Borka had no feathers and could not fly. When winter came the other geese flew off in search of warmer climates, leaving Borka all alone. But her adventure was only just beginning . . .

Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers

One day Boy and Girl go out for a picnic. They meet all sorts of creatures along the way – some come with them and some chase them, but whatever happens, today will be a day for Adventure!

Picnic

Edwardo is an ordinary boy, so sometimes he can be a bit grubby or clumsy, a bit cruel or noisy or rude. The more that he is criticised, the worse he becomes, until one day they call him 'The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World'. Just then, Edwardo's luck begins to change, and a series of chance events reveal that really he is a lovely boy, and has been all along.

Edwardo the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World

Simp is a small, fat, ugly dog. Nobody loves her and she hasn't got a home, so she sets out in search of a friend and finds a family - and some hidden talents that make her rather special. . . .

Simp

Albert and his mum and dad go walking one day in the mountains. Unfortunately, Albert slips and disappears over the edge of a cliff; his parents are very upset. Albert is lucky though - the Cloud Children see his fall and speak the magic words ("They either said, Fumble gralley goggle ho hee", or "Teetum waggle bari se nee", or was it "Gargle giggle fiddle num dee?") that make Albert light enough to float among the clouds, with them. Albert sleeps that night drifting in the sky. The next day, Albert and the Cloud Children have lots of fun: jumping off tall clouds, making as much noise as they can in the thunderstorm, swimming in the rain, painting pictures next to the rainbow and walking on the filmy traces left by passing aircraft. When Albert wants to go home again, the Queen arranges for his cloud to drift near his home, and for him to gently float down - but not before they all have feasted with the Man in the Moon!

Cloudland

It's time to get out of the bath but Shirley's not listening. She's floated away to a secret watery land beyond the plughole - to where knights ride white horses, and kings and queens float in moats around their castles. . .

Time To Get Out Of The Bath, Shirley

When the children bring Courtney home he's just a loveable scruffy old dog. But the-mongrel-that-nobody-wants has the most amazing talents. He can cook! He can juggle! He can even play the violin! Then one day Courtney the wonder dog packs up his trunk and leaves home - but the children find out his helping paw is not far away. . .

Courtney

On a day trip to the seaside Mum and Dad settle down in their deckchairs to snooze the day away while for Shirley it is a chance to set sail for uncharted seas, adventure and buried treasure. But not before her Mum has warned her off the dangers of tar, stray dogs and cold water. . . . With the alternative pictures giving both sides of the story, children and adults alike will appreciate the humour and observations from this well known children's author.

Come Away From The Water, Shirley

Bill Salaman

Helen Oxenbury

A poignant book about new horizons and saying goodbye from best-loved creators: John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury 
 
Miles is a difficult dog who loves to ride in his motor car. He's growing older, but a new challenge awaits when he takes to the skies. 
 
A picture book of beauty, infinite possibility, and love, which explores loss and grief in subtle and comforting ways. 
 
This is the award-winning author-illustrator John Burningham's last story - written by friend, Bill Salaman and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

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