books by John Burningham

At siesta time I snuggled up with my two lads (the lass was already asleep) and read It's A Secret by the prolific John Burningham -- new in 2009.  What fun it was!  A young girl wonders what her family cat does at night when everyone else is sleeping (apparently the cat is let out to roam overnight, and returns in the morning).  She sneaks down one night to discover the cat dressed to the nines and about to head out for a night on the town.  He allows her to come with him (only after donning her own party frock) after she promises to keep their doings a secret.  The neighbor boy notices them and finagles an invitation of his own to the festivities. 

We've read a couple other of Burningham's books, published several years ago -- Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car and Mr. Gumpy's Outing.  These involve a couple of children and a menagerie of animals insisting on being part of one adventure or another.  These were both enjoyable, too (the protagonist's name is a large part of the fun), though It's A Secret would be my favorite among the three.

Burningham's tales are imaginative and fun, great for reading aloud and fostering creativity.