Picture copyright © Toby Glanville
	Click here to expand photo

Born in 1936, John Burningham attended the alternative education establishment, Summerhill, in Suffolk, where lessons are not compulsory. At 17, he became a conscientious objector, and avoided military service by joining the Friends Ambulance Unit. After this he did forestry work, farming, slum clearance, school building in Southern Italy and demolition work in Israel.

He went to the Central School of Art in London in 1956, graduating in 1959 with a National Diploma in Design, as well as the School's own Diploma. Unsure of his future, he returned to Israel where he worked on models and puppets for a film company until his return to England in the autumn of 1960 when his life as an illustrator began. He created posters for London Transport, drew cartoons for magazines and made Christmas card designs until the publication of his first book in 1963.

One of the UK's most distinguished illustrators, John Burningham's appeal is recognised the world over. He has won the Kate Greenaway medal twice. He is married to Helen Oxenbury, another popular children's illustrator.

On his work

'My audience is not just children, it's broader than that, it's people. And whilst I'm working towards simplification, I'm trying to steer away from childish things.' 

'I try to draw as little as possible, keep it down to a bare minimum. With each new book I think, can I do it again? Can I pull it off again? There are terrible moments when I feel I have lost it, and I have no ability. But then it all gets back on course. Drawing is like playing the piano, it's not a mechanical skill like bricklaying and you have to practise constantly to keep it fluent. Even after 40 years it doesn't get any easier.'

'When I draw I'm conscious of looking for a lively line – though what defines a lively line is difficult to say – but a bald outline would not be very interesting, obviously. A dipping pen is good – the weight of the line alters with the amount of pressure you put on it, so you get a bit of variety.'

Films

Granpa

Oi! Get off my train

1963 Borka
1964 John Burningham's ABC
1964 Trubloff
1964 Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang (Ian Fleming)
1965 Humbert
1966 Cannonball Simp
1967 Harquin
1968 The Extra-ordinary Tug-of-War
1969 Seasons
1970 Mr Gumpy's Outing
1972 Around the World in Eighty Days
1973 Mr Gumpy's Motor Car
1973 Little Books series: The Baby, The Rabbit, The School, The Snow
1975 Little Book series: The Blanket, The Cupboard, The Dog, The Friend
1976 The Adventures of Humbert, Simp and Harquin
1977 Come Away from the Water, Shirley
1978 Time to Get Out of the Bath, Shirley
1978 Would You Rather
1980 The Shopping Basket
1982 Avocado Baby
1983 John Burningham's Number Play Series
1983 The Wind in the Willows(Kenneth Graham)
1984 Granpa
1985 Play and Learn Books ABC, 123, Opposites, Colours
1986 Where's Julius?
1987 John Patrick Norman McHennessy - the Boy who is Always Late
1989 Oi! Get Off Our Train
1991 Aldo
1992 England
1993 Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present
1994 Courtney
1996 Cloudland
1994 France
1995 Whadayamean
2002 Getting On with Getting On
2002 The Magic Bed?

See details of books in print from enCompassCulture.com

External links

Guardian interview with John Burningham from September 2000