Favourite books: Trubloff

All through art school I had a picture from Trubloff pinned above my desk. The sun setting over two mice in overcoats, skiing, one with a balalaika strapped to his back. John Burningham has been an inspiration to me for many years and Trubloff (Red Fox, ISBN 9780099414285) is my favourite of all his works. This book was published 20 years before I was born, but to me it is utterly timeless, and is just as fresh and engaging each time I read it.

Burningham transports the reader to a land of sparse, snowy landscapes, skiing mice and travelling musical gypsies. The book bursts with atmosphere, adventure, pace and emotion. Children will identify with Trubloff’s ambition to be the best at something, and will learn how his actions, in pursuing his dream, affect those around him.