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Allan Ahlberg

As a child
Allan was born in Croydon, but grew up in Oldbury in the Black Country. He says that if he hadn't grown up to be a writer, he would have loved to have been a soccer player.

As an adult
Allan always dreamed of being a writer, but tried his hand at many other jobs before he achieved his ambition. He was a postman, grave-digger, plumber's mate and teacher - it was teaching that gave him such sharp insights into the minds of children, and enabled him to write his perfectly observed poetry about primary school life

As an artist
Allan has collaborated with many illustrators, including Andre Amstutz, Gillian Tyler and Katharine McEwen, as well as his late wife, Janet Ahlberg (nee Hall) and his daughter Jessica Ahlberg. He has won numerous awards for his books including, the Kurt Maschler Award in 1986, The Children's Book Award in 1987, the Blue Peter Book Award 2001, and The Children's Book Award: Books for Young Children award 2002. 

Featured Books, with extracts by Allan Ahlberg


The Pencil
The Pencil
Allan Ahlberg
Shortlisted for Roald Dahl's Funny Prize 2009. This book is an hilarious and unmissable treat! One day there is just a lonely pencil…It begins to draw – a boy, a dog, a cat and then a house and streets for them to...
Format: Paperback - Released: 07/09/2009
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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The Pencil
The Pencil
Allan Ahlberg
Winner of the Younger Children category - Red House Book Award 2009. This book is an hilarious and unmissable treat! One day there is just a lonely pencil…It begins to draw – a boy, a dog, a cat and then...
Format: Hardback - Released: 01/09/2008
Price: £8.24- Saving £2.75 (25%)
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Collected Poems
Collected Poems
Allan Ahlberg
Age 8+ A treasure-trove of delights are gathered together in this wonderful anthology of some of Allan Ahlberg’s best-loved poems. Taken from the best selling collections, Please Mrs Butler, Heard it in the Playground, The Mighty Slide, Friendly Matches and...
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/06/2008
Price: £11.24- Saving £3.75 (25%)
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The Boyhood Of Burglar Bill
The Boyhood Of Burglar Bill
Allan Ahlberg
Sixty-six boys, two footballs, two sets of shirts, one madman and a whistle – that’s the basis of the Malt Shovel Rovers. They’re a football team put together to try their luck in the Coronation football competition. A wonderful story...
Format: Paperback - Released: 06/03/2008
Price: £3.74- Saving £1.25 (25%)
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Previously
Previously
Allan Ahlberg
An inventive, topsy turvy back-to-front story of fairytale characters and what they did… previously.  From Goldilocks and Cinderella to Jack and the Gingerbread Man you’ll find a treat instore from start to finish.  Both funny and touching no child or...
Format: Hardback - Released: 03/09/2007
Price: £8.24- Saving £2.75 (25%)
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Please Mrs. Butler
Please Mrs. Butler
Allan Ahlberg
This funny collection of poems for the 8-11 age group is all about one school. The verses cover such things as playtime, the school outing, the school nurse, French lessons, the three R's, nicknames, best friends - and a host of other topics...
Format: Paperback - Released: 06/03/2003
Price: £5.24- Saving £1.75 (25%)
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Friendly Matches
Friendly Matches
Allan Ahlberg
A World Cup selection. A wonderful collection of poetry covering all the ups and downs of football.  Marvellous stuff from the author of those playground classics Heard it in the playground and Please Mrs Butler. Click here to...
Format: Paperback (b Format) - Released: 01/08/2002
Price: £3.74- Saving £1.25 (25%)
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Funnybones
Funnybones
Allan Ahlberg
Three white-boned skeletons have a great night out when they set forth with the express intention to “frighten somebody”. Big skeleton, little skeleton and dog skeleton live in the dark, dark cellar of a dark, dark house on a dark,...
Format: Paperback - Released: 30/09/1999
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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Each Peach Pear Plum (Board Book)
Each Peach Pear Plum (Board Book)
Allan Ahlberg
A delightful board book with simple rhyming text and engaging interactive pictures.  Children will be able to find characters that are mentioned in the text, such as Mother Hubbard and Cinderella. Wonderful detail in the illustrations provides endless entertainment in...
Format: Hardback - Released: 27/05/1999
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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Peepo!
Peepo!
Allan Ahlberg
Fabulous illustrations, wonderful rhyming text with not a word out of place; this is a book that no nursery bookshelf can be without.  Guaranteed to have huge appeal with babies and young toddlers. It’s definitely the kind of book that...
Format: Board Book - Released: 29/05/1997
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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Peepo!
Peepo!
Allan Ahlberg
Fabulous illustrations, wonderful rhyming text with not a word out of place; this is a book that no nursery bookshelf can be without.  This sturdy board book is guaranteed to have huge appeal with babies and young toddlers. It’s definitely...
Format: Hardback - Released: 29/05/1997
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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Heard It In The Playground
Heard It In The Playground
Allan Ahlberg
Age 7+ This book is a classic and although life in the school playground is a little different now to what it was when it was first published this remains one of the best introductions to poetry for young children.
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/08/1991
Price: £3.74- Saving £1.25 (25%)
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Blow Me Down!
Blow Me Down!
Allan Ahlberg
Three perfectly worded and shaped stories make beginning reading fun and easy! The title story follows three burglars as they go about their business while giants and gorillas feature in the other two. Excellent illustrations match all three.   Perfect for Reluctant...
Format: Paperback - Released: 15/06/1990
Price: £2.24- Saving £0.75 (25%)
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Peepo!
Peepo!
Allan Ahlberg
One of our 'Must Reads'. Fabulous illustrations, wonderful rhyming text with not a word out of place; this is a book that no nursery bookshelf can be without. Guaranteed to have huge appeal with babies and young toddlers. It’s definitely the...
Format: Paperback - Released: 31/03/1983
Price: £4.49- Saving £1.50 (25%)
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Books by Allan Ahlberg

Allan Ahlberg's Happy Families Album
Allan Ahlberg's Happy Families Album
Allan Ahlberg
Introduces readers to Mr Biff the Boxer, Mrs Vole the Vet, the delightful Miss Dirt the Dustman's Daughter and Master Bun the Bakers' Boy.
Format: Hardback - Released: 02/07/2009
Price: £9.74 - Saving 3.25 (25%)
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The Baby in the Hat
The Baby in the Hat
Allan Ahlberg
An epic journey begins when a young boy rescues a falling baby by catching her in his hat. He uses his reward money to sail off round the world, making his fortune along the way. When he returns home, he...
Format: Hardback - Released: 01/09/2008
Price: £8.24 - Saving 2.75 (25%)
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The Pencil
The Pencil
Allan Ahlberg
A pencil draws a boy, a dog, a cat and a whole world for them to play in. Then the pencil draws a brush, and the brush adds colour to everything. Everyone is very happy, until the pencil draws a...
Format: Hardback - Released: 01/09/2008
Price: £8.24 - Saving 2.75 (25%)
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Collected Poems
Collected Poems
Allan Ahlberg
Presents the trials and tribulations of childhood, embracing school, quarrels, friendships, football and storytelling.
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/06/2008
Price: £11.24 - Saving 3.75 (25%)
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Previously
Previously
Allan Ahlberg
Do you know what Jack was doing before he climbed the beanstalk? Or what Jack and Jill were arguing about before they went up the hill? And what happened before that? This works helps you find out what your favourite...
Format: Hardback - Released: 03/09/2007
Price: £8.24 - Saving 2.75 (25%)
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The Runaway Dinner
The Runaway Dinner
Allan Ahlberg
Banjo is a very hungry little boy who every evening has a sausage for his dinner. But one day his sausage, called Melvin, jumps off the plate and races down the road, and everything else follows - peas, French fries,...
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/06/2006
Price: £8.24 - Saving 2.75 (25%)
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The Children Who Smelled a Rat
The Children Who Smelled a Rat
Allan Ahlberg
The fourth in the series about the energetic Gaskitt family. In this thrilling, thunderous (and extra-long) Gaskitt story, Mrs Gaskitt finds a parcel, Mr Gaskitt loses a baby, Horace has mixed feelings about a bird, and Mrs Fritter - ooerl...
Format: Hardback - Released: 01/08/2005
Price: £7.49 - Saving 2.50 (25%)
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The Baby's Catalogue
The Baby's Catalogue
Allan Ahlberg
A board book version of the author's picture book.
Format: Hardback - Released: 02/06/2005
Price: £4.49 - Saving 1.50 (25%)
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The Shopping Expedition
The Shopping Expedition
Allan Ahlberg
A wonderful flight of the imagination in which an ordinary trip to the shops becomes an intrepid adventure. Come shopping with me and Mum and little Harry and Wilf the Wonderdog. But this is no ordinary shopping trip; the car...
Format: Hardback - Released: 02/05/2005
Price: £8.24 - Saving 2.75 (25%)
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The Woman Who Won Things
The Woman Who Won Things
Allan Ahlberg
A sequel to The Man Who Wore All His Clothes , this second Gaskitt family adventure has Mrs Gaskitt winning prizes, Mr Gaskitt working as a postman and Gus and Gloria getting a new teacher with silver hair and a...
Format: Hardback - Released: 08/04/2002
Price: £7.49 - Saving 2.50 (25%)
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The Jolly Pocket Postman
The Jolly Pocket Postman
Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
The Jolly Postman has a magical adventure in which he suffers Alice's fate and shrinks to the size of a postage stamp and meets lots of well-known characters before he is restored to his correct size and left wondering whether...
Format: Hardback - Released: 30/09/1999
Price: £9.74 - Saving 3.25 (25%)
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The Jolly Christmas Postman
The Jolly Christmas Postman
Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters - there's a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called 'Beware' for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalized Humpty Dumpty...
Format: Hardback - Released: 30/09/1999
Price: £9.74 - Saving 3.25 (25%)
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The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters
The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters
Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
The Jolly Postman delivers cards and letters to various fairy-tale characters. He has a letter of apology for the three bears from Goldilocks, a postcard from Jack for the giant, a solicitor's letter on behalf of Little Red Riding-Hood for...
Format: Hardback - Released: 30/09/1999
Price: £9.74 - Saving 3.25 (25%)
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Each Peach Pear Plum
Each Peach Pear Plum
Janet Ahlberg, Allan Ahlberg
Introduces characters from traditional stories, such as the Three Bears , Mother Hubbard and Tom Thumb . This board book encourages children to participate and to find the characters hidden in the pictures. With its rhyme and rhythm, it is...
Format: Hardback - Released: 27/05/1999
Price: £4.49 - Saving 1.50 (25%)
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Peepo!
Peepo!
Janet Ahlberg, Allan Ahlberg
This work follows a baby through the day. A series of holes peeping through to the next page leads the young child on to the next stage of the day, giving a hint of what is to come.
Format: Hardback - Released: 29/05/1997
Price: £4.49 - Saving 1.50 (25%)
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