The Guardian has reported the death of John Burningham. Links to obituaries will follow separately…

John Burningham, the children’s author and illustrator behind some of the 20th century’s most enduring children’s books, has died at the age of 82.

The writer and artist died on Friday after contracting pneumonia, his literary agent confirmed on Monday.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/07/john-burningham-childrens-author-and-illustrator-dies-aged-82

The latest edition of Teen Titles (#73) includes Q&A interviews with J A Henderson, author of It’s Only The End of the World; Tom Palmer, author of Armistice Runner; Elizabeth Wein, author of Firebird; M A Griffin author of Payback – and eight new additions to the Author Factfile, plus the usual mix of reviews with prominent featuring of the dustjackets (a hallmark of this publication).

To enquire re. subscriptions: learning.publications@ea.edin.sch.uk

Extract from David Baddiel interview in The Guardian [link to full piece below]:

The child in you evidently likes toilet humour as much as the next child, if Head Kid is anything to go on …
I find myself unable, when I write a children’s book, not to have at least a little bit of toilet stuff, because I know that children just find it immensely funny. There’s a scene in The Parent Agency where the main character meets some prospective parents and they tell him he can say or do whatever he likes. The first thing he does is just say “bum, poo, fart, wee” over and over again. I read that to kids when I visit schools and they go mad with laughter. I mean completely mad.

Do you find it easier to write for children than to write adult fiction?
That’s a difficult question, and I know children’s writers get very angry if you say that kids’ books are easier to write. One way in which they straightforwardly are is that they’re shorter.

Gleitzman is used to writing for children. He’s not used to being edited by them, with the possible exception of his own children, who comment on everything he does. But giving kids the opportunity to edit is precisely the point of Early Harvest, the annual publication put out by 100 Story Building, an organisation based in Melbourne that centres around providing opportunities and programs for young writers. Each year, an editorial team of Grade 5 and 6 students comes up with a theme – this year it’s “Dreams” – and then oversee the production of a book filled with short stories, illustrations, games and activities.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/10/morris-gleitzman-beloved-childrens-author-meets-his-new-editors-children