BOOKS
Created: 14th August, 2015

John Patrick Norman McHennessy

Author: John Burningham
Illustrator: John Burningham
Publisher: Red Fox

COLLECTION

Learning to read

THEMES

School

YEAR GROUP

Years 3 and 4

BOOK TYPE

Corebooks

Every time John Patrick Norman McHennessy 'sets off along the road to learn' he is delayed from reaching his destination by the intervention of wild animals and natural disasters. His old-fashioned teacher, complete with mortarboard, does not believe his excuses and sets him lines. But eventually the tables are turned... The pattern of the text will support less confident readers whilst giving them access to some thought-provoking ideas about the meaning of education. Readers may also see visual links with other Burningham titles.

To explore more unlikely excuses, try this quintet of picture books by Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud:

I Didn't Do My Homework Because... (9781452125510), Chronicle £8.99

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School... (9781452131689), Chronicle £9.99

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer... (9781452144832), Chronicle £8.99

A Funny Thing Happened at the Museum... (9781452155937), Chronicle £8.99

The Truth About My Unbelievable School... (9781452155944), Chronicle £9.99

See also: Neil Gaiman: Fortunately, the Milk..., illustrated by Chris Riddell (9781526614810), Bloomsbury £6.99

Jill Murphy: On the Way Home (9781529003062), Macmillan £6.99