Burglar Bill

Product Information

This hilarious tale by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is one of the best-loved picture books ever – a timeless classic that parents recognise and children love. Anstey's 1888 Burglar Bill, and Other Pieces for the Use of the Young Reciter, might have been an inspiration for the Ahlbergs.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. If I had to recommend ‘Burglar Bill’ I would suggest its use in the EYFS, purely as a book to read to the class and facilitate a discussion about stranger danger.Moved by her friendliness, he does this, forgetting about the jewels he has come to steal, and is rewarded with a damson tartlet before escaping. The illustrations have a timeless charm, full of character and period detail, wonderfully rich and coloured in a style that's not that familiar these days.

Highly recommend this book for KS1 during story time, children will engage with it as it is very light hearted and has great pictures that go alongside the story. Many of his books were collaborations with his wife, Janet, an illustrator, and they quickly became one of Britain’s leading author/illustrator teams. This beautiful story takes us on Burglar Bill’s journey of transformation as he learns from his experiences and aims to pursue a new career which does not involve crime. Bill, a man who only has stolen things from his bed to his marmalade, is shocked to find he has stolen a baby! The pictures on the page add an extra element of humour and bring the characters on the page to life.The Ahlberg's delightful story has it all: adventure; romance; felonies galore; remorse; restitution and a happy ending. This book was recommended by a friend (another grandmother) and so I go it to read to my grandchildren - ages 8 and 6. There is something of a straight-faced-but-purposely-ridiculous whimsy in a lot of British children's books, and this one really takes it to extremes. We know by now that this is of course what all burglars say when they are burgling a home, so Burglar Bill realises he's being burgled and goes downstairs and sees a woman with a striped top and a mask over her eyes. Janet Ahlberg won two Kate Greenaway Medals for illustrating their books and the 1978 winner Each Peach Pear Plum was named one of the top ten winning works for the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005).