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Motor Miles
Miles is a difficult dog, until he gets his own car. . . . From picture book master John Burningham comes a delightful new story.
Miles does not come when he is called. He does not like going for walks, his food, other dogs, or the rain. What Miles does like is going for drives in the car. So when Mr. Huddy makes Miles a car of his own, Miles becomes a much happier dog. And now he and his friend Norman can go on all sorts of adventures! Inspired by his own dog, Miles, renowned children’s book author and illustrator John Burningham (who celebrated his eightieth birthday this year) creates a new picture book offering all the charm and exuberance of his best work.
Miles does not come when he is called. He does not like going for walks, his food, other dogs, or the rain. What Miles does like is going for drives in the car. So when Mr. Huddy makes Miles a car of his own, Miles becomes a much happier dog. And now he and his friend Norman can go on all sorts of adventures! Inspired by his own dog, Miles, renowned children’s book author and illustrator John Burningham (who celebrated his eightieth birthday this year) creates a new picture book offering all the charm and exuberance of his best work.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
John Burningham
163 books106 followershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bur...
Married to Helen Oxenbury They have one son and two daughters.
John Burningham was born in 1936 in Farnham, Surrey, and attended the alternative school, Summerhill. In 1954 he spent two years travelling through Italy, Yugoslavia and Israel, working at a variety of jobs.
From 1956-1959, he studied at the Central School of Art, after which he designed posters for London Transport and the British Transport Commission. He also spent a year on an animated puppet film in the Middle East. He then became a writer and illustrator of children's books, his first book, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers (1963) winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1963, an achievement he repeated with Mr Gumpy's Outing (1970).
Since then, he has written and illustrated many children's books. He is also a freelance designer of murals, exhibitions models, magazine illustrations and advertisements.
Married to Helen Oxenbury They have one son and two daughters.
John Burningham was born in 1936 in Farnham, Surrey, and attended the alternative school, Summerhill. In 1954 he spent two years travelling through Italy, Yugoslavia and Israel, working at a variety of jobs.
From 1956-1959, he studied at the Central School of Art, after which he designed posters for London Transport and the British Transport Commission. He also spent a year on an animated puppet film in the Middle East. He then became a writer and illustrator of children's books, his first book, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers (1963) winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1963, an achievement he repeated with Mr Gumpy's Outing (1970).
Since then, he has written and illustrated many children's books. He is also a freelance designer of murals, exhibitions models, magazine illustrations and advertisements.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 15, 2018
We love John Burningham's stories, we own many and when my children were small they were read constantly. I was pleased to find this recently published one in the library.
Miles is a much loved dog, but he is difficult. He doesn't like going for walks, his food or other dogs. What he does like is going out for rides in the car. Miles is happy now and starts to do the things he previously made a fuss about. Miles has some lovely adventures with his new found freedom, and when the novelty of his wears off his neighbour makes him something even more fun.
This is a very nice story in the author's usual mix of everyday and magic with free, expressive drawings. We liked the addition of the photo of the real life Miles that inspired this story.
Miles is a much loved dog, but he is difficult. He doesn't like going for walks, his food or other dogs. What he does like is going out for rides in the car. Miles is happy now and starts to do the things he previously made a fuss about. Miles has some lovely adventures with his new found freedom, and when the novelty of his wears off his neighbour makes him something even more fun.
This is a very nice story in the author's usual mix of everyday and magic with free, expressive drawings. We liked the addition of the photo of the real life Miles that inspired this story.
August 24, 2016
Slow, elegant build to magic.
June 2, 2019
Miles was a difficult dog. He didn't come when called, didn't like his walks, his food or other dogs, and he barked too much. Despite this, his humans, Alice Trudge and her son Norman, loved Miles a great deal. One of the few things Miles did enjoy was driving in the car, so the Trudges' next-door neighbor, Mr. Huddy, made a car just for this problematic pup, and things improved from there. Miles and Norman had many wonderful driving adventures together, until Norman outgrew the car. Would this be the end of their fun, or did Mr. Huddy have something else in store...?
An entertaining tale from one of Britain's foremost picture-book author/artists, Motor Miles is the kind of matter-of-factly fantastic story that is sure to keep younger children engaged. I appreciated the sense of humor and of fun that John Burningham displays in his story, and I greatly enjoyed his artwork, which has a wonderful sense of motion and of color, but does not draw back from the simplicity and white spaces on the page. The ending, in which it is implied that Mr. Huddy has , is just right, concluding the tale in such a way that the reader will be thinking of what this canine/human duo will get up to next. Recommended to John Burningham fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about difficult animal companions who prove to be worth the extra effort in the end.
An entertaining tale from one of Britain's foremost picture-book author/artists, Motor Miles is the kind of matter-of-factly fantastic story that is sure to keep younger children engaged. I appreciated the sense of humor and of fun that John Burningham displays in his story, and I greatly enjoyed his artwork, which has a wonderful sense of motion and of color, but does not draw back from the simplicity and white spaces on the page. The ending, in which it is implied that Mr. Huddy has , is just right, concluding the tale in such a way that the reader will be thinking of what this canine/human duo will get up to next. Recommended to John Burningham fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about difficult animal companions who prove to be worth the extra effort in the end.
September 6, 2016
Delightfully silly, with a distinct classic children's literature feel to it. Sometimes getting one need fulfilled is enough to make us willing to compromise on other things.
October 28, 2016
Miles the dog isn't very happy, until Mr. Huddy makes him his own car.
Cute and fun.
Cute and fun.
May 18, 2017
This book has a different slant on a dog who is not easy to take care of and what the boy, his mother, and the neighbor do for the dog to get him to come around. Dog lovers will like this, and boys, and this is a fun story with an interesting plot. I would recommend this to kids in elementary school and to read with a parent. Illustrations are similar to children's drawings in elementary school or cartoons.
January 18, 2019
We all know difficult dogs....but car-driving dogs? The grandchildren found this story entirely humourous and enjoyed reading it repeatedly. One of their favourite John Burningham's. We will chose this over others on the library shelf.
December 8, 2016
Miles doesn't like many dog things--just riding in a car. His people get him small car he can drive. he starts taking his boy on all kinds of wonderful trips.
May 14, 2025
Delightfully surreal, this story of an uncooperative dog who finds his calling as a kind of chauffeur was an instant hit with our household. I missed out on John Burningham when I was a kid but am very glad for the excuse to encounter him now.
July 22, 2021
Thank you thank you for a book that has a story -- and one that includes things you shouldn't try at home. Can't love the art more. Love the spread of Miles's happiness.
The only ONLY thing I might have liked is to see Norman just a little bit bigger (and believable too big for the car) on the penultimate page.
(The poetry-launch question might be: what would your dog drive/fly/ride -- and where would you go?)
The only ONLY thing I might have liked is to see Norman just a little bit bigger (and believable too big for the car) on the penultimate page.
(The poetry-launch question might be: what would your dog drive/fly/ride -- and where would you go?)
January 30, 2018
This book is about a family who got a dog that they could not get to do anything or be happy unless he was riding in the car. The owners got so tired of driving him in the car that they decided that they needed to do something so the next door neighbor Miles, the dog, his own car. Miles loved his car and he drove it everywhere as long as he had Norman, his owner, with him. Miles even was happy when he wasn't in the car and he obeyed his owners. Miles is happy until Norman begins to grow up.
I didn't enjoy the book that much and I can't explain why. I thought the storyline was a little boring but I feel that kids would very much enjoy it. You could use this in a classroom to teach kids to be innovative and try new things.
I didn't enjoy the book that much and I can't explain why. I thought the storyline was a little boring but I feel that kids would very much enjoy it. You could use this in a classroom to teach kids to be innovative and try new things.
August 24, 2023
Clearly, Miles may look like a "LOVELY DOG." But he's highly unusual.
As his owner, Alice Trudge, discovers. As Alice's son Norman discovers.
Long story short, according to perceptive neighbor Mr. Huddy:
What your dog needs is his own car,"
And that's when the whimsical story really takes off. Funny and eccentric. Maybe not for everybody, but FIVE STAR worthy to this Goodreader.
As his owner, Alice Trudge, discovers. As Alice's son Norman discovers.
Long story short, according to perceptive neighbor Mr. Huddy:
What your dog needs is his own car,"
And that's when the whimsical story really takes off. Funny and eccentric. Maybe not for everybody, but FIVE STAR worthy to this Goodreader.
July 21, 2017
John Burningham is a master of the art of the picture book. His tone is always matter of fact and dry, and combined with his equally deadpan art, he can make something fantastic completely believable.
I think that I will be on the lookout for a dog driving a car--or flying an airplane--after this. Surely Miles might be a more pleasant fellow motorist than many I have encountered recently!
I think that I will be on the lookout for a dog driving a car--or flying an airplane--after this. Surely Miles might be a more pleasant fellow motorist than many I have encountered recently!
January 6, 2017
Miles the dog loves to ride in the car and is very disagreeable to rest of the time but he can't be driven everywhere. Lucky for him the neighbor next door has a surprise idea. Loved the friendship themes. Preschool and up for length.
October 3, 2017
Miles the rescue dog is not very compliant unless he is in a car. So a neighbour builds him one and he goes travelling with his human and becomes more compliant. This book was kinda cool but kinda meh too. I loved the great illustrations.
March 19, 2022
"When Norman arrived at school in a car driven by a dog, all the other children were amazed."
And we're off. Another remarkable dog from this author/illustrator, and a sweet message that giving a person agency can help them be a better man. Or dog as the case may be.
And we're off. Another remarkable dog from this author/illustrator, and a sweet message that giving a person agency can help them be a better man. Or dog as the case may be.
January 19, 2017
After reading a lot of busy pictures, I relished in the simplicity of this book. There was lots of clean, white space and the story was a nice, slow build. Recommend as a quiet time book.
August 5, 2017
Sooo clever and cute! Thank you, Miles, for being the inspiration for such an adorable book.
October 23, 2018
A family look for a solution when their dog is only happy when being driven around.
This was an odd short illustrated story – I expect that young children will enjoy it.
This was an odd short illustrated story – I expect that young children will enjoy it.
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March 16, 2020interesting
June 23, 2020
lol-ed at this one!
August 22, 2021
Simple book, simple words, simple under-stated illustrations, yet a beautiful book.
December 2, 2022
Love these pen scratchy illustrations plus the funny scribbly coloring. Love the dog in this one. Love how he says a lot with less words. Love the funny story of a dog getting a car.
December 3, 2022
4 stars for this delightful suprise of a book about a spoiled god, Miles and his boy
January 17, 2023
This was fun and a cute story.
March 13, 2023
Pure magic.
November 2, 2023
A dog gets a car. He and his boy have fun with it. There's a surprise ending!
March 23, 2025
Themes: animals, humor
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2016
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2016
March 24, 2025
Cute story
March 21, 2017
Fanciful book about a dog who drives. Sketchy pictures with lots of movement. Miles the dog is a bit of a jerk though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews