Anthony Browne Books
All 57 of Anthony's children's books!
Click on the book covers for more details and to buy.
THROUGH THE MAGIC MIRROR
1976
Toby is fed up. Fed up with books, fed up with toys, fed up with everything. But when he walks through the magic mirror, things are amazingly different. Toby can hardly believe his eyes! Anthony Browne's first book is full of the surreal details and visual humour that have made him one of the world's most popular and acclaimed picture book artists.
A WALK IN THE PARK
1977
One day Smudge and Charles (two very different children) take walks to the park with their dogs, Albert and Victoria. The dogs race off and chase each other around the park, while Smudge and Charles become the best of friends. First published in 1977, this tale of friendship which is one of the first books by internationally acclaimed picture book creator, Anthony Browne is available again in paperback.
BEAR HUNT
1979
One day Bear goes for a walk in the jungle. Unfortunately, he is not alone. Two eager hunters have spotted him. Look out, Bear!
The hunters try to capture him with a butterfly net, a lasso, even a riffle... but Bear's magic pencil comes to the rescue. What a clever Bear.
LOOK WHAT I’VE GOT!
1980
This is a new edition of the master illustrator's story of a show-off getting his comeuppance. Jeremy, it seems, has everything: a new bicycle, a pirate outfit, an enormous bag of lollipops. But he won't share anything with Sam. Could it be, though, that Sam has something far more valuable? This stunning book is filled with visual jokes and a message to inspire.
HANSEL AND GRETEL
1981
This is a retelling of the famous, dark fairytale from award-winning author-illustrator Anthony Browne. "Hansel and Gretel" is perhaps the darkest and greatest of the fairytales from the Brothers Grimm. This extraordinary book brings the classic childhood tale to a new generation courtesy of one of the world's greatest picture book artists, Hans Christian Andersen Award-winner Anthony Browne.
Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
BEAR GOES TO TOWN
1982
This classic children's book features a very clever white bear and his magic pencil. Everything Bear draws becomes real. When his friend Cat is captured along with other animals, it is up to Bear to rescue them all.
Anthony Browne combines beautiful illustrations with strong text to create a delightful picture book for all children who love bears, particularly magic ones.
Currently out of print in UK
GORILLA
1983
Hannah loves gorillas but has never seen one. Her father's too busy to take her to the zoo - or for anything else come to that. For her birthday, Hannah asks her father for a gorilla - but is disappointed when she discovers that the gorilla she's got is just a toy one. But then something extraordinary happens...the toy turns into a real gorilla, who puts on her father's hat and coat and takes her off for a magical visit to the zoo...This is a celebratory 30th anniversary edition with a glorious new cover!
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, The Kurt Maschler Award, Boston Globe Horn Book Award, Netherlands Silver Pencil Award.
WILLY THE WIMP
1984
Willy wouldn't hurt a fly - he even apologizes when someone hits him. The suburban gorillas call him Willy the Wimp. Then, one day, Willy answers a body-building advert ...with hilarious results! Celebrate 30 years of the classic picture book in this special anniversary edition by multiple-award-winner Anthony Browne.
THE VISITORS WHO CAME TO STAY
Written by Annalena McAfee, 1985
Katy lives alone with her dad by the sea and she likes it that way. Then, one day, the visitors come to stay, Mary and her son Sean. Now Katy has to share her house, her toys, her walks, her dad and she doesn't like it at all. Her hostility drives the visitors away, but eventually she comes around to accepting them.
Currently out of print
KNOCK KNOCK WHO’S THERE?
Written by Sally Grindley, 1985
A gorilla, a witch, a ghost, then a fierce scaly dragon hungry for his tea. Who will be next? Each time there's a knock at the door, there's a different monster, but each time they're wearing the same tartan slippers. Of course, it's just Dad, playing an hilarious bedtime game.
WILLY THE CHAMP
1985
Willy is different. He likes to read books and listen to music; he's no good at sports, although he tries; and, wherever he goes he gets laughed at. But when he's threatened by the horrible Buster Nose he really comes into his own.
PIGGYBOOK
1986
Mr Piggott and his two sons behave like pigs to poor Mrs Piggott – until, finally, she walks out. Left to fend for themselves, the male Piggotts undergo some curious changes!
KIRSTY KNOWS BEST
Written by Annalena McAfee, 1987
Kirsty is a first-class dreamer. her colourful fantasies of revelry and rivalry will have all young readers rooting for her. Clever, intriguing, and decidedly droll, Annalena McAfee's juxtaposition of reality and fantasy provides the perfect vehicle for the imaginative art of Anthony Browne.
Currently out of print
ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
Written by Lewis Carroll, 1988
The story of Alice and her remarkable adventures in Wonderland has enthralled generations of children since it was first published in 1865. Lewis Carroll's timeless masterpiece, now 150 years old, is richly visual in its telling and in this beautiful anniversary edition, Anthony Browne's dazzling illustrations are perfectly paired with the surreal quality of Carroll's writing.
Winner of the Kurt Maschler Award.
THE LITTLE BEAR BOOK
1988
This is an animal adventure for the little white bear and his magic pencil. As bear strolls through the forest he meets a lonely gorilla, a noisy crocodile, a lion and even an elephant. They all look like they need something, so bear steps in to save the day using his magic red and yellow pencil to draw just what they were looking for. Originally published in 1988 this early work by a picture book master is available again for a brand-new audience.
I LIKE BOOKS
1988
In 'I Like Books', Anthony Browne portrays many different kinds of books - funny books, scary books, books about monsters and pirates, and lots more. The central character is an appealing chimp.
THINGS I LIKE
1989
Painting and riding a bike, building sand-castles, watching TV, playing with friends - Anthony Browne depicts a toddler's favourite activities in 'Things I Like'. The central character is an appealing chimp.
A BEAR-Y TALE
1989
This is the fairy-tale adventure of a little white bear and his magic pencil. Bear is walking through a deep dark forest when he meets a hungry-looking wolf, a giant, a scary witch and a family of three bears. With each encounter, Bear draws his way out of danger with the help of his magic red and yellow pencil. Originally published in 1989 this early work by a picture book master is available again for a brand-new audience.
THE TUNNEL
1989
Anthony Browne is at his most brilliant in a new edition of this profound picture book about sibling relations. Once upon a time there lived a brother and sister who were complete opposites and constantly fought and argued. One day they discovered the tunnel. The boy goes through it at once, dismissing his sister's fears. When he doesn't return his sister has to pluck up the courage to go through the tunnel too. She finds her brother in a mysterious forest where he has been turned to stone...
Winner of the Netherlands Silver Pencil Award.
TRAIL OF STONES
Written by Gwen Strauss, 1990
As they enter the dark wood, familiar fairy tale characters confront the issues of fear of love, shame, grief, jealousy, loneliness, and joy in this illustrated collection of poems.
Currently out of print
CHANGES
1990
On Thursday morning at a quarter past ten, Joseph Kaye notices something odd about the kettle...Thus begins a remarkable day for Joseph, a day in which everything seems to change in the most peculiar of ways. The washbasin grows feet, the armchair becomes a gorilla, his bicycle wheel turns into an apple...Joseph's father had said when he'd left that morning that everything was going to change. But what had he meant? The book explores the boy's state of mind as he prepares for the return of his parents with his new baby sister.
WILLY AND HUGH
1991
Willy hasn't got any friends and no-one ever lets him join in with their games. He is lonely...until the day he bumps into Hugh Jape in the park. Willy and Hugh are very different but they make a great team!
THE NIGHT SHIMMY
Written by Gwen Strauss, 1991
Eric doesn't like to talk. His secret friend, the Night Shimmy, says everything for him. Then he meets Marcia, who doesn't mind that he is quiet. As the two become friends, the Night Shimmy disappears. Angry and scared, Eric refuses to play with Marcia. But soon she needs his help and Eric discovers that he doesn't need his imaginary friend after all.
ZOO
1992
Dad, mum and two brothers spend a day at the zoo, looking at the animals in the cages - or is it the animals that are looking at them?
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.
THE BIG BABY
1993
John's dad always acts young: he wears trendy clothes, frequently changes his hair-style, and loves pop-music. But one day he becomes ill, and becomes even younger, and finds out what it's like to be a big baby.
Currently out of print
THE TOPIARY GARDEN
Written by Janni Howker, 1993
One of the most remarkable short stories in Janni Howker's Badger on the Barge is The Topiary Garden. It is the evocative, timeless story of Sally Beck, and the circumstances which led her to become Jack, the gardener's boy, working amongst the topiary bushes of a great country house garden. This powerful story has such impact for readers of any age that we are publishing it in a separate edition, with specially commissioned full colour paintings by Anthony Browne.
Currently out of print
THE DAYDREAMER
Written by Ian McEwan, 1994
Peter Fortune is a daydreamer. He's a quiet ten year old who can't help himself from dropping out of reality and into the amazing world of his vivid imagination. His daydreams are fantastic and fascinating - only in the bizarre and disturbing world of dreams can he swap bodies with the family cat and his baby cousin, Kenneth, or wipe out his entire family with vanishing cream.
KING KONG
From the story conceived by Edgar Wallace and Merian Cooper, 1994
"It was Beauty that killed the Beast" King Kong is a giant gorilla, a massive monster of an ape who lives on a remote island. The mighty beast falls for a beautiful girl, Ann Darrow, and desperate to have her he finds himself lured into captivity. He is brought to civilisation and put on show, but when he sees Ann he breaks his heavy chains and begins to wreak havoc on the streets of New York ...The enthralling story of King Kong involves battles with dinosaurs, daring rescues and incredible escapes - endless thrills lead up to one of the most famous climaxes of all time!
WILLY THE WIZARD
1995
Willy the chimp loves football and dreams of being a star player. But he doesn't have any boots so he's never been picked for the team. Then, one evening, Willy meets a mysterious stranger and his luck begins to change ...
WILLY THE DREAMER
1997
This is a stunning Willy book with spectacular, surreal paintings - by one of the most acclaimed of all picture book artists. Willy loves to dream. He dreams that he's a film star, a sumo wrestler, a ballet dancer, a painter, an explorer, a famous writer, a scuba diver...Sometimes he dreams that he can't run but he can fly. He dreams he's a giant or he's tiny, a beggar or a king, in a strange landscape or all at sea. He dreams of fierce monsters and super heroes, of the past and, sometimes, the future. Willy's dreamland is a gallery of amazing and magical pictures, each one magnificently executed and packed with bananas and slyly surreal details that cannot fail to intrigue and delight. The pictures pay homage to famous paintings by the likes of Dali, Magritte and Henri Rousseau, as well as film and book characters and much more.
VOICES IN THE PARK
1998
Four different voices tell their own versions of the same walk in the park. The radically different perspectives give a fascinating depth to this simple story which explores many of the author's key themes, such as alienation, friendship and the bizarre amid the mundane. Anthony Browne's world-renowned artwork is full of expressive gorillas and vibrant colours.
Winner of the Kurt Maschler Award.
MY DAD
2000
He's all right, my dad. He's as strong as a gorilla and as happy as a hippopotamus. He's a great dancer, a brilliant singer,he's fantastic at football and he makes me laugh. A lot. But that's not all that's great about my dad . . .
This is a brilliant, warm, humorous look at fatherhood from a child's point of view, from this multi-award-winning author/illustrator.
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WILLY’S PICTURES
2000
Hugely entertaining and informative - this is a unique art history lesson given by internationally acclaimed children's book illustrator. Willy's pictures look like great works of art, but not quite...for Willy has added himself and his friends to famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Vermeer, Manet and many more. Delight in his dazzling portfolio then open the fold-out pages to see the original pictures and learn about the artists who painted them. As Willy knows, every picture tells a story...
ANIMAL FAIR
2002
Who better than Anthony Browne to give the traditional ANIMAL FAIR a whole new spin - along with a few flips, pulls, and pop-ups?
THE SHAPE GAME
2003
'I was a little boy and I didn't know what to expect. It was my mother's idea - that year for her birthday she wanted us all to go somewhere different. It turned out to be a day that changed my life forever.'A family reluctantly visits an art gallery but one by one each member is energized by a different picture in the gallery and transported into the imaginative and colourful world of art.
Anthony created this book when he was illustrator-in-residence at Tate Britain in London.
INTO THE FOREST
2004
An atmospheric exploration of a child's anxiety. One night a boy is woken by a terrible sound. A storm is breaking, lightning flashing across the sky. In the morning Dad is gone and Mum doesn't seem to know when he'll be back. The next day Mum asks her son to take a cake to his sick grandma. "Don't go into the forest," she warns. "Go the long way round." But, for the first time, the boy chooses to take the path into the forest, where he meets a variety of fairy tale characters and discovers the fate of his father.
MY MUM
2005
She's nice, my mum ...My mum's a fantastic cook, and a brilliant juggler. She's a great painter, and the strongest woman in the world! She's really nice, my mum. A warm, funny tribute to Mum (and to mums everywhere) by the brilliant author/illustrator Anthony Browne.
SILLY BILLY
2006
Billy is a bit of a worrier. He worries about hats and shoes. He worries about clouds and rain and giant birds. Most of all, he worries about staying at other people's houses. His mum and dad try to help, but still Billy worries...until a visit to his grandma's shows him how to overcome his fears with the aid of his imagination - and some tiny worry dolls.
MY BROTHER
2007
My brother is really cool. He's a super skateboarder and he's got massive muscles. He can run so fast that ...he can fly! Yes, my brother is really cool. A humorous, affectionate tribute to brothers, this title is perfect for adults and children everywhere. A brilliant follow-up to the best-selling "My Dad and My Mum"!
LITTLE BEAUTY
2008
This is the heart-warming tale of a gorilla and his tiny friend, from the master picturebook-maker. A very special gorilla is taught a very special skill: sign language. He appears to have everything he needs, but one day he signs that he is sad and needs a friend. His keepers bring him a tiny cat called Beauty and the two of them become inseparable. But when the gorilla gets angry and causes damage to the TV, will his keepers think him unfit to be friends with such a small, defenceless animal? Not if Beauty can think fast and prove what a special friendship they share...
ME AND YOU
2010
Three bears decide to go out for a walk in the park while their porridge cools. Meanwhile a little girl has lost her mum and lost her way and is walking the streets alone, until she happens upon a house...The bears arrive home and discover several things are amiss...What will they find upstairs?
PLAY THE SHAPE GAME
2010
Take a shape and transform it into something new...Top names, including Jo Brand, Quentin Blake and Andrew Motion, have played Anthony Browne's Shape Game and left a new shape behind for children to turn into whatever they want. This simple drawing game is the perfect way to encourage children to use their imaginations.
PLAYING THE SHAPE GAME
Written with Joe Browne, 2011
Anthony Browne is one of the world's most celebrated creators of picture books, with classics such as "Voices in the Park", "Willy and Hugh", and "Gorilla" to his name. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, the Kurt Maschler 'Emil' Award three times, and in 2000 became the first British illustrator to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to children's literature, he was appointed the UK Children's Laureate for 2009 to 2011 and to celebrate both this honour and his glorious career, we present a major retrospective of his life and work. Anthony shares insights into his childhood, his training, and his career as an artist, in this captivating memoir featuring over 200 illustrations.
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
2011
This is a book about feelings, for the very young child. How do you feel? Sometimes you feel happy, sometimes sad. Sometimes you even feel surprised. Supreme artist and Children's Laureate Anthony Browne brings all his understanding and skill to bear in this exploration of emotion for very young children. This book will reassure and help them understand how they feel, using simple words and pictures. Every parent can feel "confident" that this is the perfect book. A companion volume to "I Like Books" and "Things I Like", Anthony Browne's young chimp is sure to be a hit with all little ones! This is an accessible first book of feelings, ideal for sharing.
ONE GORILLA
2012
Count from one to ten with apes and primates. What better attention-getter for small children than primates in all their variety? And who better to render them than Anthony Browne? In this elegant counting book, the author-illustrator outdoes himself with a vivid presentation of primates from gorillas to gibbons, macaques to mandrills, ring-tailed lemurs to spider monkeys. With his striking palette, exquisite attention to detail, and quirky flair for facial expressions, Anthony Browne slyly extends the basic number concept into a look at similarities and differences - portraying an extended family we can count ourselves part of. It encourages early numeracy through Anthony Browne's beautiful artwork. It carries an important message about protecting our environment.
WILLY AND THE CLOUD
2016
From the former Children's Laureate and twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal comes a stunning and perceptive story about facing your fears. From the former Children's Laureate and twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal comes a stunning and perceptive story about worry and anxiety, featuring his much loved chimp, Willy.
One day Willy goes to the park. It's a sunny day, but a cloud hovers over him and he can't join in the fun.
What can Willy do to make this mysterious cloud go away?
ERNEST THE ELEPHANT
2021
Ernest is a happy baby elephant. But when his curiosity gets the better of him and he leaves the rest of his herd to explore the alluring and dangerous jungle, he becomes very lost indeed. Amongst the undergrowth, he meets a rude gorilla, a weary lion, an impolite hippo and an uncaring crocodile. Will anyone help Ernest find his way out of the jungle and home to his mum?
BIG GORILLA
2024
Learn all about opposites through internationally renowned master picture book-maker Anthony Browne's beloved primates. What's the opposite of old? Young! What's the opposite of sad? Happy! But what's the opposite of opposite...?Featuring a range of exquisite primates, from gorillas to chimpanzees, white-faced capuchins to orangutans, Anthony Browne has created a wonderfully unique first book of opposites, with his striking palette and quirky flair for facial expressions sure to charm readers of all ages.
WHAT IF…?
2013
Joe is nervous about his first big party, and as Mum walks him along the darkening street to his friend's house, his imagination starts to run wild. They search for the right place, looking through the windows, wondering "What if...?" while making surprising discoveries along the way.
HIDE AND SEEK
2017
When their dog goes missing, Cy and Poppy play hide and seek to distract themselves. Poppy counts to ten and looks for Cy - but she can’t find him anywhere. But then there’s a rustling from the woods – maybe someone else can help her find him…?
A reassuring tale of sibling love by the master Anthony Browne.
THE THREE WISHES
2022
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for? Anthony Browne is back with a brilliantly funny story with a moral message at its heart. Lambert, Hilda and Ros are bored on the sofa, watching tv and a little bit grumbly. . . However after a surreal turn of events, the three friends are visited by a mysterious blue fairy who gives them more than they bargained for.
Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true... The Three Wishes is a hilarious twist on a tale that focuses on the importance of being content and present in the moment.
WILLY’S STORIES
2014
Once a week, Willy walks through an ordinary-looking set of doors and straight into an adventure. Where will those doors take him today: to a mysterious desert island with footprints in the sand; down a deep, dark rabbit hole full of curious objects; or perhaps on board a pirate ship, face to face with Captain Hook? Wherever he ends up, Willy's journeys begin when he walks through those inviting doors.
LITTLE FRIDA
2019
A lonely little girl dreams of flying. But it is only in her imagination that she can escape her troubles and travel to a surreal land. There a friend awaits her, strange and familiar at the same time…
Inspired by the art of Frida Kahlo and based on the true story of her imaginary childhood friend, this is a touching story about creativity, hope and belonging.
A BOY, HIS DOG AND THE SEA
2023
A poignant picture book about a boy and his dog finding adventure where they least expect it, from the acclaimed Kate Greenaway Medal-winning author-illustrator and former Children's Laureate, Anthony Browne. Danny isn't expecting much excitement when he takes his dog, Scruff, for a walk on the beach.
He would much rather play with his older brother, Mick.
Scruff loves the beach, but Danny thinks it's boring.
Will Danny discover just how extraordinary the beach really is?
FRIDA AND BEAR
Written and illustrated with Hanne Bartholin, 2015
Frida and Bear both LOVE to draw - but what? First, Frida draws a shape. Bear adds to it and turns it into a picture. Then Bear draws a shape for Frida as the game begins again. Anthony Browne and Hanne Bartholin celebrate the power of imagination and the importance of creativity in this delightful picture book that invites the reader to join in and play the shape game with them.
OUR GIRL
2020
A joyful and empowering celebration of daughters, granddaughters, sisters and girl-children everywhere - showing all the many things that girls can be. A brand-new picture book from award-winning and best-loved creator, Anthony Browne.
MY GRANDAD
2024
A celebration of grandads everywhere! Grandads - all different and all a little bit the same...
We love our grandads and they love us!Award-winning author and illustrator and former Children's Laureate Anthony Browne shares a warm look at the relationship between grandad and grandchild.