Borka; Cloudland; Courtney; Oi! Get off our Train; Simp; Time to get out of the bath, Shirley; Would you rather…

A welcome reissue by Red Fox of a selection of Burningham’s works from Kate Greenaway Medal winner Borka (1963) to Cloudland (1996).

The dominant theme in these picture books is of the child alone – cast out like Borka or Simp to find a new home and a place in the world, or reaching out to fantasy as a relief from mundane adult routine. Oi! Get off our Train adds the issue of endangered species to the child’s fantasy.

Burninghams’s illustrative style includes the use of a wide range of media, often tied together by his characteristic sketchy line-drawn people. Some of his paintings seem unbelievably rich to be found in a picture book, and his inventiveness seems unlimited. His texts are less sure-footed, as might be expected from one who is primarily an artist, and can indeed be heavy-handed. However, lucky the child who has the opportunity to meet his idiosyncratic and often elusive works.