The award-winning illustrator of "The Gruffalo" and "Zog" chooses five favourites. His new picture book, "Welcome", is out now, with a donation to the non-profit Three Peas for every copy sold.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
The Shrinking of Treehorn
Florence Parry Heide and Edward Gorey, 1971
This story perfectly portrays the feeling of powerlessness in childhood. Little Treehorn finds himself shrinking – no magic potions involved – and nobody cares... least of all his parents. Still, it’s a humorous story with exquisite drawings by Gorey.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Member of the Wedding
Carson McCullers, 1946
My number one coming-of-age story. I still have my 1974 German edition. Frankie is a 12-year- old girl in the American south and McCullers beautifully describes the pains, dreams and feeling of exclusion that can come with growing up. There are very sad moments, but it ends with "an instant shock of happiness". I wonder what kind of adult Frankie might have become – hopefully one with a happier life than her creator.
Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad
Daniel Finkelstein, 2023
I'm deeply worried by the lack of knowledge of the horrors of the 20th century and shocked by the rise of antisemitism. Finkelstein's grandparents experienced both at first hand. This is their story and everybody should read it.
Map: Collected and Last Poems
Wisława Szymborska, 2015
My favourite poet and the worthy winner of a Nobel Prize. This wise Polish woman covers the spectrum of all things human, and her poems are full of wonder. Probably a good book to have on a desert island.
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
Film reviews: A House of Dynamite, After the Hunt, and It Was Just an AccidentFeature A nuclear missile bears down on a U.S. city, a sexual misconduct allegation rocks an elite university campus, and a victim of government terror pursues vengeance
-
Book reviews: ‘Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife’ and ‘Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It’Feature Gertrude Stein’s untold story and Jane Leavy’s playbook on how to save baseball
-
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into ArtFeature Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Dec. 7
-
Music reviews: Olivia Dean, Madi Diaz, and Hannah FrancesFeature “The Art of Loving,” “Fatal Optimist,” and “Nested in Tangles”
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Ready for the apocalypseFeature As anxiety rises about the state of the world, the ranks of preppers are growing—and changing.
