Wild rose, briar rose and elderflower on a stone wall (Illustrations for What to Look for in Summer)

These are four of Tunnicliffe’s original artworks for the Ladybird book What to Look for in Summer, published in 1960. Tunnicliffe’s colourful illustrations seem to effortlessly capture the abundant flora and fauna, and changeable weather, of the British countryside in summer.

Ladybird began publishing educational books for children after the Second World War with great success. Tunnicliffe’s first Ladybird commission came in the late 1950s with The Farm, a Learning to Read book. He went on to illustrate all four of the What to Look for series on the seasons of the year. His simple but evocative images were hugely influential at the time, shaping a generation’s view of the natural world, and still hold great appeal.

University of Reading, Special Collections / Ladybird Books Limited