Allen Ahlberg has died

[SchnizelVonKrumm]

Once upon a time, or so they say,
A jolly postman came one day
From over the hills, and far away

Very sad news.

ETA he was Allan, not Allen.

😥

I made my DS a funny bones Halloween costume in the mid ‘90’s from black leggings, black polo jumper and I cut out cardboard bones and sewed them onto the clothes. I did by a skull mask but it was a lovely ‘funny bones’ homage.

I was just saying yesterday how I’d never declutter “the baby’s catalogue” and I mean it
I also can see all the illustrations of “each peach pear plum in my head”
so much more I could say memories of being very little, my sister being little, happy families books and infants school projects on these, I can see our artwork as clear as day….RIP Sir what a legacy 🫡

Oh that’s sad to hear. We loved his books in our house when my two were little. Same with Shirley Hughes. What an amazing legacy to have your books such an intrinsic part of so many families’ lives ❤️

He was a lovely man. Many years ago I was tutoring a student with dyslexia and ASD who was still struggling with learning to read aged 9. His reading started to take off by reading Happy Families books.
This student also had great ideas for stories but struggled with handwriting/ getting things down on paper.
I wrote to Allan Ahlberg to tell him about how much his books had helped this student and sent a copy of a story the student had written .
AA was lovely. He arranged to phone me, spoke to me and advised me about some other slightly more difficult books he had written that this student might like.

Then he wrote to the student with encouragement and advice and sent him a copy of one of his books.

The student was able to catch up with his education over time and has now graduated from university!

This is so sad, I loved his books as a child, and have enjoyed them soo much with my own children.

How lovely to reminisce and re-enjoy some beautiful children’s literature when there are so many awful things going on in the wild. Thank you all.

Omg I used to love reading that with my DCs!! It’s one of the books I wasn’t allowed to give away when they grew up. It is such an amazing thing to have given so many people so much pleasure.

😍Peepo

Same though I once stupidly said it about a stranger's baby in Mothercare (I was shopping for my own toddler). The mother understandably hurried off. I've always hoped I misread the situation and she was a Burglar Bill fan 🤦🏻‍♀️

Boglaboll!!

I've loved buying the one's my children loved for my grandchildren.

This thread has inspired some new ones to buy.

I think I can still recite Each Peach Pear Plum off by heart!

What an amazing children's author.

I know Each Peach Pear Plum off by heart to this day and can still recite Dog in the Playground from Please, Mrs Butler... RIP, you wonderful man

Banjo Cannon and the Runaway sausage called Melvin. My DC love that story.

Peepo & Each Peach Pear Plum they've loved since being babies.

So sad. Thank you for the stories.

Peepo makes me weep like a child every time. What an amazing talent and legacy.

bless @shellyleppardMog books! Classics! Lovely to think that there are so many generations who have the stories and illustrations of Judith Kerr, Shirley Hughes, the Ahlbergs and cohort in their memories. It’s somewhat reassuring.

Brilliant children’s author

Oh my.
We wore out a copy of the Baby's Cartalogue with my eldest, now 42
Subsequent babies given their own copy as were my grandchildren and friends babies too. We have all the Ahlbergs books and I treasure them.

My favourite ❤

@HorribleHisTories15 i think they will live on for many many years ❤️ if the children remember the books then they will pass the love on to their children

I have so many found memories of his books. Each Peach Pear Plum and Funnybones.

DD enjoys reading them now.

He sounds like a lovely man.

RIP.

We read the Baby's Catalogue every single day here - the Accidents page is our particular favourite with the various mishaps including baby down the loo... I adore the Ahlberg books, so much warmth and joy and understanding. RIP Allan, you've made reading to my children an absolute pleasure ❤️

I have loved rediscovering all these books for DD1 (4y) and DD2 (1y). We have Jolly Postman, Each Peach, Peepo and Mummy bones but sounds like we need to buy Burglar Bill based on this thread.

Please Mrs butler and the others in that book are still in my head today. I can’t think of When a knight won his spurs without the alternative version

He and his wife leave an amazing legacy of work - I just lived reading their books to my children, having read them myself when I was a child.

the Ha Ha Bonk joke book still gets used to make grandparents laugh!

I fell in love with the Ahlbergs' books as an Infant School teacher in the late 80s. Such a treasury of works. Touching and funny words and wonderful illustrations. Each Peach Pear Plum and Burgalar Bill and the Happy Families series were favourites in school. I member Mrs Wobbke the Waitress fondly! And Please Mrs Butler was my go to poetry book.
At home, my daughter's favourite was Peepo and that's the first book she read to her baby daughter. She has all my Ahlberg books so his words and Janet's illustrations will be a staple for my dgd. What a legacy. They're in the book box along with along with the Shirley Hughes books.
Thank you for the joy Mr Ahlberg