A Look at Allan Ahlberg and Children’s Books

“In a dark, dark town there was a dark, dark street
and in the dark, dark street there was a dark, dark house,
and in the dark, dark house there were some dark, dark stairs
and down the dark, dark stairs there was a dark, dark cellar
and in the dark dark cellar….

Three skeletons lived! ” – Funny Bones, Allan Ahlberg

If you grew up in the 80’s and early 90’s there wasn’t much choice in children’s books. One of the big names there was Allan Ahlberg, who died this week.

Allan and his first wife, Janet, created Happy Families, Funny Bones, and Please Mrs. Butler. And let’s not forget The Jolly Postman either. These were school staples in my childhood.

The rhymes, stories, and poems had children giggling and engaged with beautiful pictures and smashing tales.

The question is though, have they stood the test of time?

In my opinion, while not overly diverse, these stories still can be found in many a library, and bookstore.

Let me know your favorite in the comments?