John Burningham
John Burningham studied illustration and graphic design at the Central School of Art, graduating with distinction in 1959. Many illustration commissions followed, including iconic posters for London Transport, before the publication of Borka: the Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers, John’s first book for children. It won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration and heralded the beginning of an extraordinary career spanning 50 years.
John Burningham has since written and illustrated over 30 picture books, which have been translated and distributed all over the world. These feature his classic and much-loved children’s books, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming; Mr Gumpy’s Outing, also awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal; Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne; The Shopping Basket; The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame; Granpa, later made into an animated film; Oi! Get off our Train; and various books for adults.
John is married to the illustrator, Helen Oxenbury. They have three children, three grandchildren and a dog named Miles. They live in London.
Books
Avocado Baby
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox Picture Books
Interest age: 3-7
Reading age: 5+
Mr and Mrs Hargreaves' new baby is the fussy kind and doesn't seem to want to eat anything. Until he eats avocadoes – and gets bigger and stronger than anyone could have guessed. Avocado Baby is a total joy, full of surreal, off-kilter humour.
Borka
Author: John Burnigham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 6+
Borka is a goose born without feathers and when she can't join the other geese in their flight South, she goes on her own adventure
Granpa
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Random House
Interest age: 3-8
Reading age: 4+
A sensitive and moving exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandfather.
Husherbye
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 1-4
Reading age: 5-7
This soft, shushed delight of a bedtime book is perfect for getting little ones to sleep. John Burningham’s lilting text has a rolling rhythm and gentle assonance that carries the listener into a dream while listening. Husherbye, everyone; husherbye.
Oi! Get Off Our Train
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 5+
As a small boy drifts off to sleep he dreams that he is taking a journey around the world in his model train.
Picnic
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox Picture Books
Interest age: 2-5
Reading age: 5+
The deceptive simplicity of both text and illustrations will draw youngsters to the interactive elements in this picture book and provides an early opportunity to attempt independent reading.
The Way to the Zoo
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5+
Sylvie notices a door in the wall of her bedroom that leads to a zoo. Even more unexpectedly, the animals want to come back to Sylvie’s room with her. This bewitching and yet simple imaginative story taps into the dreamlike thoughts of children.
There's Going to be a Baby
Author: John Burningham Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 2+
Reading age: 6+
A mother tells her little boy that ‘there’s going to be a baby’, but the little boy doesn’t like the sound of this – he doesn’t think they really need the new baby…
Whadayamean
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 3-7
Reading age: 5-7
John Burningham’s book was topical in 1999 when it was published, and remains so today. A call to action for children to persuade adults to make a better world, it’s a reminder that we are stewards of the earth and need to take care of it before it’s too late.
Would You Rather…
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5-7
A classic for children, Would You Rather... presents an alternative to a traditional story by imagining a mixture of fantastical and real-life choices. It's great for building confidence with little ones about making their own choices for their own reasons.