In his last months as Children’s Laureate, the author and illustrator talks to Morwenna Ferrier about why his father is the Gorilla in his picture books, and why he always felt sorry for Goldilocks.

Children's Bookshelf Talks With Anthony Browne This story originally appeared in Children's Bookshelf on October 12, 2006 Sign up now!

IN 1983, children’s writer Anthony Browne was looking for a novel way to publicise his latest story, Gorilla.

In his latest book, What If…?, Anthony Browne probes childhood experiences with remarkable nuance and complexity.

Set against stark white backgrounds, the inhabitants of each page function exactly as objects in a counting book are required to do: 1 gorilla gives way to 2 orangutans, 3 chimpanzees and so on up ...

In his last months as Children’s Laureate, the author and illustrator talks to Morwenna Ferrier about why his father is the Gorilla in his picture books, and why he always felt sorry for Goldilocks.