1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Puffin, £5.99)Not many children’s books achieve worldwide sales that would humble a U2 album, but Eric Carle’s classic picture book about a caterpillar munching his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly has sold 22 million copies.Carl...

11. Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Puffin, £5.99)First published in 1981, this wonderful boardbook appeals rather like The Very Hungry Caterpillar – you simply can’t beat a hole in the page for toddler enjoyment. In Peepo!, a baby glimpses his small domestic world through a l...

. Everything was good for hunting, whether wild asparagus or mushrooms. I had a blissful childhood, which was the most incredible, joyful thing. As a result, I developed a deep understanding of the moods and cycles of the seasons and a great respect for purity

and had a little picnic on the seafront. Our trip coincided with the inaugural Eastbourne Cycling Festival, so we stopped to watch the boys performing a host of fancy stunts on high ramps and obstacles for a bit, before the grown-ups took a slow amble

At The Gallery? I often think of ideas for my books as I’m cycling to my studio in Utrecht each morning. But art galleries have always been important to me – my first visit to the big art galleries in Paris when I was 18 was completely life changing – so I always