Published books

Books from the 1960's

Complete list: 1963 Borka, 1964 Illustrated Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1964 John Burningham’s ABC, 1964 The Extraordinary Tug of War, 1965 Trubloff, 1965 Humbert, 1966 Canonball Simp, 1967 Harquin, 1969 Seasons

Borka was born without feathers and could not fly, so her mother knitted her a jumper, but when the other geese flew south for the winter, Borka was left behind.
Read more
Buy a copy
Tug of War by John Burningham book cover
Teased by Hippopotamus and Elephant, Hare decides to teach his friends a lesson, and so the great tug of war begins...
Read more
Buy a copy
John Burningham's ABC book cover
John Burningham's ABC followed Borka in 1964. Given the freedom to do pretty much what he liked, It gained its effect simply as a suite of individual gorgeous paintings
Out of print
Read more
Trubloff the mouse dreams of becoming the greatest balalaika player in the country. One night he runs away with a band of gypsies who promise to teach him to play.
Read more
Buy a copy
Harquin is warned not to go down to the valley, but he can't resist. When the gamekeeper spots him a hunt is organized, and Harquin has to run for his life.
Buy a copy
Simp is a small, fat, ugly and homeless dog. So she sets out in search of a friend and finds a family - and some hidden talents that make her rather special...
Buy a copy
This is the story of Humbert, a working horse, Mister Firkin, his master a scap metal dealer, and the Lord Mayor of London.
Read more
Buy a copy
The pure unbridled joy of illustrating the changes in landscape and weather through the seasons
The original children’s novel for children by Ian Fleming, beautifully illustrated by John Burningham in 1964.
Out of print

Books from the 1970's

1970 Mr Gumpy’s Outing, 1972 Around the World in 80 Days, 1973 Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car, 1974-1975 The Rabbit, The School, The Snow, The Baby, The Blanket, The Cupboard, The Dog and The Friend, 1977 Come away from the water, Shirley, 1978 Time to get out of the bath, Shirley

Following in the steps of Phileas Fogg, an intrepid traveler visits twenty-four countries on five continents in eighty days and records his impressions in sketches and an amusing journal
On a day trip to the seaside Mum and Dad settle down to snooze the day away while for Shirley it is a chance to set sail for uncharted seas, adventure and buried treasure...
Read more
Buy a copy
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...
Read more
Buy a copy
Mr Gumpy decides to take a trip along the river in his boat. But the children, the rabbit, the cat, the pig and lots more friends decide to join him....
Read more
Buy a copy
The Snow by John Burningham, book cover
The Firend by John Burningham, book cover
The dog by John Burningham, book cover
The Baby by John Burningham, book cover
The Blanket by John Burningham, book cover
The Rabbit by John Burningham, book cover
The Cupboard by John Burningham, book cover
The School by John Burningham, book cover

Small Books

In the 1970’s John Burningham produced a number of ‘small books’ designed by Jan Pienkowski They are now out of print but you can have look through one here

Books from the 1980's

Complete list: 1980 The Shopping Basket, 1982 Avocado Baby, 1983 Pigs Plus, 1983 Just Cats, 1983 Five Down, 1983 Count Up, 1983 Read One, 1983 Ride Off, 1983 The Wind in the Willows, 1984 Skip Trip, 1984 Slam Bang, 1984 Sniff Shout, 1984 Granpa, 1984 Jangle Twang, 1984 Wobble Pop, 1984 Cluck Baa, 1986 Where’s Julius?, 1987 John Burningham’s Opposites Book, 1987 John Burningham’s Numbers Book, 1987 John Burningham’s Alphabet Book, 1987 John Patrick Norman McHennessy: The Boy Who Was Always Late, 1987 John Burningham’s Colours Book, 1989 A Grand Band, 1989 Oi! Get Off Our Train

The Wind in the Willows by John Burningham, book cover
John Burningham's wonderfully evocative line drawings marry perfectly with Graham's vivid text. There are twelve glorious full-colour scenes, full of detail, to enjoy over again and again.
Buy a copy
Julius uses his bold imagination while he plays to enjoy fabulous escapades, shooting South American rapids, and riding camels up pyramids.
Out of print
Granpa by John Burningham, book cover
Granpa nurses his granddaughter's dolls, mistakes her strawberry-flavoured ice-cream for chocolate, takes her tobogganing in the snow, and falls in with her imaginary plans to captain a ship to Africa...
Buy a copy
A little boy sets off on a round-the-world night train to dreamland with only his toy dog for company. But soon all sorts of endangered animals are asking if they can jump up and join them on their journey. . .
Read more
Buy a copy
John Patrick Norman McHennessy cover
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.
Read more
Buy a copy
Avocado-Baby-cover
The Hargraves new baby is puny and will hardly eat a thing. But one day Mrs Hargraves finds an avocado and the baby gobbles it up. Soon, the strangest things start to happen...
Read more
Buy a copy

Books from the 1990's

Complete list: 1991 Aldo, 1992 England, 1993 Harvey Slumfenburger’s Christmas Present, 1994 First Steps: Letters, Numbers, Colours, Opposites, 1994 Courtney, 1996 Cloudland, 1998 France, 1999 Whadayamean?

Harvey Slumfenburger
It's Christmas Eve and there is one present left in Father Christmas's sack. It's for a small boy called Harvey Slumfenburger, who lives far, far away on top of the Roly Poly Mountain.
Buy a copy
Mr Gumpy was going for a drive in his car. He drove out of the gate and down the lane. “May we come too?” said the children.
Read more
Buy a copy
The children bring home a loveable scruffy old mongrel-that-nobody-wants, called Courtney. But he has amazing talents. He can cook! He can juggle! Then one day he packs up his trunk and leaves...
Buy a copy
Walking in the mountains with his Mum and Dad, Albert slips and disappears over a cliff; his parents are very upset. luckily - the Cloud Children see his fall and speak the magic words...
Buy a copy
Seeing the mess that people have made of the world, God entrusts two children to spread his message.
Out of print
An illustrated introduction to the letters of the alphabet, the numbers one to ten, basic colours, and opposites
Out of print
A 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.
Buy a copy

Books from the 2000's

Complete list: 2000 Husherbye, 2000 For Every Child:The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Words and Pictures, 2002 The Time of Your Life: Getting On With Getting On, 2003 The Magic Bed, 2003 Letters, 2004 When We Were Young: A Compendium of Childhood, 2006 Edwardo: the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World, 2009 John Burningham, 2009 It’s a Secret!, 2011 There’s Going to be a Baby, 2014 The Way to the Zoo, 2016 Motor Miles, 2017 Mouse House, 2018 More Would You Rather , 2019 Mr Gumpy’s Rhino, 2021 Air Miles

Georgie has 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...
Buy a copy
We see everyone at the end of the day, tired and ready for bed - the cat and her kittens, a family of bears, a fish, a goose, a frog, even the man in the moon. Husherbye
Buy a copy
Motor Miles by John Burningham book cover
Miles is a very difficult dog... Until he is given his very own motor car and learns to love the open road!
Read more
Buy a copy
The Way to the Zoo by John Burningham, book cover
In Sylvie's bedroom wall she spots a door ...and beyond that door she finds a passage... and beyond the passage she discovers... the zoo!
Buy a copy
When We Were Young by John Burningham, book cover
Enchanting and truthful compendium of childhood. The well known and the unknown contribute funny, moving, magical and occasionally dark childhood memories
Buy a copy
In the family home live Mum, 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.
Buy a copy
Time of your life by John Burningham, book cover
If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself' - Eubie Blake, jazz musician, on reaching 100 In John Burningham's well-stocked larder of the wit and wisdom.
Buy a copy
Would you rather drink snail squash or eat mashed worms? Help a witch make stew? Tickle a monkey? Or maybe - would you rather just be... you?
Buy a copy
Edwardo: the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World
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...
Buy a copy
Would you rather by John Burningham, book cover
Would you rather have breakfast with bears, lunch with a lion or dinner with ducks?
 
Would it be worse if an elephant made a terrible smell or you fell over in a field of cows?
Buy a copy
It's a secret cover
One night Marie Elaine finds her cat Malcolm dressed to go to a party. On condition she keep his secret, he agrees to let her come and they set off through the streets
Buy a copy
Mr Gumpy is off on an adventure! This time he’s rescuing a rhino who’s lost its parents, but growing a rhinos needs lots of food...
Buy a copy
air-miles-cover
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.
Buy a copy
When is the baby coming? What will we call it? What will the baby do? We don’t really need the baby, do we? Exquisitely illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Buy a copy