Mr Gumpy's Outing

Story

On a lovely sunny day, Mr Gumpy goes out on a boat ride. Everyone wants to join: first the children, then the rabbit, then more and more animals. Mr Gumpy agrees for everyone to jump on his little boat, on the condition that they all get along. But the boat gets more and more crowded, and heavier and heavier and they don’t all get along!

Why we chose it

One of John Burningham’s most popular stories, it was much loved at our ABC story sessions for pre-school children. It’s a great story to act out, as many families did when the boat and the animals featured in our Happy Birthday Mr Burningham exhibition in 2016.

Where it came from

John Burningham (1936-2019) was an English author and illustrator of children’s books. He studied illustration at the Central School of Art in London, and became a prolific writer who wrote and illustrated almost all of his works. Burningham believed in the power of simple and spontaneous illustrations, and loved to mix sketchy line drawings with evocative watercolour painting.

Where it went next

Mr Gumpy’s Outing won both the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1970 and the Boston Globe Horn Book Award in the Picture Book category in 1972. It was followed by Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car (1973) and later by Mr Gumpy’s Rhino (2019).

Associated Stories

Other books by John Burningham include Borka, Come Away from the Water, Shirley, Avocado Baby, Granpa and John Patrick Norman McHennessy, the boy who was always late.