There's Going to be a Baby

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by John Burningham, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Interest age: 2+
Reading age: 6+

Published by Walker Books, 2011

Picture books

About this book

A mother tells her little boy that ‘there’s going to be a baby’; she wonders if the baby will grow up to be a chef or an artist or maybe work in the zoo, but the little boy doesn’t like the sound of any of this – he doesn’t think they really need the new baby…

As the seasons change and his mummy’s bump grows bigger, the little boy’s concerns change to something closer to excitement and as he goes to meet the baby for the first time, he feels ready to love his new sibling.

Oxenbury’s illustrations are both warm and stylish, perfectly complementing Burningham’s text. This charming picture book will surely be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any family expecting a second baby and has all the makings of a future classic.

About the author

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.