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Burningham, John
14 Reviews
(2)
K-3
Though Miles's human family loves him, he is a "very difficult dog." The only time he's cooperative is in the car, so neighbor Mr. Huddy makes Miles his own car. After driving lessons, Miles is ready for the road. As always, Burningham controls pacing through a mix of vignettes, full-page illustrations, and double-page spreads; his pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings are maximally expressive.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2016
(2)
PS
Sylvie discovers a door to the zoo in her bedroom and begins bringing animals home, but--being an orderly child--just a few at a time. When she forgets to close the door, a crowd of creatures troops in to watch television. Sylvie's arrangements have both the childlike logic and the solid reality of the best fantasy. Masterfully limned drawings feature harmonious hues.
Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2014
(4)
PS
Before a boy and girl and their animal friends can enjoy their picnic, they first must hide from a charging bull and then find Sheep's hat, Pig's ball, and Duck's scarf. Occasional direct address ("Can you see it?") serves more to interrupt the flow than involve the listener. Burningham's signature scribbly, bold, colorful, and motion-filled drawings bolster a rather lackluster story.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
(3)
PS
The Extraordinary Tug-of-War, a classic African trickster tale, was one of the first books Burningham illustrated. Here, he retells the fable himself. Weary of being belittled by Elephant and Hippopotamus, Hare challenges each to a tug-of-war, cleverly engineering the contest so that his tormentors actually pull against each other. The real glory of this new edition is its (original) gorgeous, witty art.
Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1968
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Helen Oxenbury.
A young boy awaits the birth of his sibling and imagines possible futures for the baby. Burningham's text has an ambiguous relationship with the pictures and the pacing is awkward, but Oxenbury's beautiful illustrations convey the warmth of the relationship between mother and child.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(4)
K-3
"Where do cats go at night?" wonders young Marie Elaine, so one night she tags along with her kitty. After eluding some dogs, they meet the Queen of the Cats and party all night. Unfortunately, that's all that happens, making for an anticlimactic tale. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant journey, and Burningham's unmistakable art--loose, exuberant, and inviting--carries the story.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(1)
K-3
Every day when a boy sets off "along the road to learn," some calamity (e.g., an encounter with a lion, a tidal wave) makes him late for school. His increasingly irritated teacher imposes harsh punishments, but John has the last laugh. Although the story is lighthearted, Burningham makes a serious point about the failures of the educational system.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 1988
(4)
K-3
Edwardo is told that he is the worst boy in the world, and in a self-fulfilling prophecy, he becomes exactly that. But when faced with kindness and encouragement, he becomes "the nicest boy in the whole wide world." Burningham's storytelling and art are as strong as ever but can't carry the weight of the didactic story.
Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander
(2)
K-3
In this fortieth anniversary edition of Burningham's first book, Borka the goose is born with no feathers and is left behind when the other geese fly south. She eventually makes her way to Kew Gardens, where there are already so many exotic birds that no one minds how she looks at all. Burningham's bold, deceptively simple illustrations won him the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(4)
PS
When it's time for a bigger bed, Georgie chooses an old one from an antique shop. "'Why did you get that awful old bed? Why didn't you...buy a new one?'" his granny exclaims. The bed is magic, and once Georgie discovers the magic word, the bed takes him on far-off journeys. While the story meanders, Burningham's rich, imaginative illustrations, showing Georgie on a variety of adventures, are strong.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
K-3
Each double-page spread in this oversize, interactive book presents choices for the small protagonist and the reader to make: "Would you rather... / clash the cymbals / bang the drum / or blow the trumpet?" The possibilities range from enticing to scary to silly, and the book ends reassuringly with a cozy picture of the child--who has had quite a day--sleeping soundly in bed.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
(1)
PS
In friendly collages and lilting stanzas that always end with the refrain "Hushabye," Burningham creates different tired expressions for his characters--cat and kittens, a baby, a fish, etc.--with a few subtle pen strokes. Once he introduces everyone, he revisits the characters to show them peacefully asleep in a hayloft or boat or porch chair--whatever arrangement suits their needs. This bedtime book is a soothing rest for the weary.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2001
(4)
PS
The brilliant picture book is reduced in size but otherwise unchanged in this new board book edition. The story about cheerful Mr. Gumpy and the load of passengers he collects on his boat, including children, chickens, a goat, and a calf, loses some of its impact in the smaller size, but the art reproduction is good.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
February, 1972
(2)
PS
This full-sized compilation--of four titles originally published in 1986 as small, separate books--is a welcome reissue. Burningham's economical drawings in soft watercolors and crayon are given new life in the fresh, open design; the childlike crayon-scrawl endpapers are particularly appealing.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 1986
14 reviews
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