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One day Mr Gumpy decides to take a trip along the river in his boat but the children, the rabbit, the cat, the pig and lots more friends decide to join him. Everyone's having a lovely time until the animals start kicking, bleating, hopping and flapping.

John Burningham was born 1936. He trained at the Central School of Art and Design, London. His first picture book, Borka was published in 1963. He is married to Helen Oxenbury, another popular children's illustrator.

He says that, "Drawing is like playing the piano; it's not a mechanical skill like bricklaying and you have to practise constantly to keep it fluent. Even after 40 years it doesn't get any easier. When I draw I'm conscious of looking for a lively line - though what defines a lively line is difficult to say- but a bald outline would not be very interesting, obviously. A dipping pen is good - the weight of the line alters the pressure you put on, so you get a bit of variety."