Gumdrop (book series)

The Gumdrop stories are a series of 37 children's books written and illustrated by Val Biro. They concern a 1926 Austin 12 hp four cylinder (Austin Clifton twelve four) called "Gumdrop", who gets involved in various adventures.[1] The car is real and was in the author's possession, but the stories are fictional. The first book was The Adventures of a Vintage Car (1966) and the last was Gumdrop's School Adventure (2001). His adventures have included such tales as an encounter with the Loch Ness Monster where Gumdrop and his owner helped to protect the monster being exploited for publicity, a meeting with Father Christmas where Gumdrop helped him deliver presents, and helping an elephant escape an abusive zookeeper and deliver him to a safari park which they soon help to rescue from being destroyed by bulldozers. Given Gumdrop's age, various stories feature a sub-plot of his owners needing to find replacement parts for him as certain components become worn out over time, ranging from a new starter to a complete replacement of his engine, often made more difficult by the fact that these parts are no longer being manufactured directly.

The real-life Gumdrop in 2008
Gumdrop in 2003

A television series of the same name and based on the original books was produced in the 1990s and narrated by Nigel Planer.

Titles

Number Published Title
11966Gumdrop - Adventures of a Vintage Car
21967Gumdrop and the Farmer's Friend
31968Gumdrop on the Rally
41969Gumdrop on the Move
51971Gumdrop Goes to London
61973Gumdrop Finds a Friend
71975Gumdrop in Double Trouble
TV1976Gumdrop and the Steamroller TV
L11976Gumdrop and the Steamroller
L21976Gumdrop Posts a Letter
81976Gumdrop on the Brighton Run
91977Gumdrop Has a Birthday
101979Gumdrop Gets His Wings
Ann11979Gumdrop Annual 1
Ann21980Gumdrop Annual 2
111980Gumdrop Finds a Ghost
121981Gumdrop and the Secret Switches
131982Gumdrop at Sea
141982Gumdrop Makes a Start
L31982Gumdrop and Horace
L41982Gumdrop Races a Train
L51976Gumdrop Goes to School
L61983Gumdrop Gets a Lift
L71983Gumdrop at the Zoo
L81983Gumdrop in a Hurry
L91984Gumdrop Goes Fishing
L101984Gumdrop Has a Tummy-Ache
L111984Gumdrop is the Best Car
L121984Gumdrop On the Farm
151984Gumdrop's Magic Journey
161985Gumdrop and the Monster
171986Gumdrop to the Rescue
181988Gumdrop and the Dinosaur
191989Gumdrop and the Pirates
Omn1989Gumdrop Omnibus
201990Gumdrop and the Elephant
211991Gumdrop and the Bulldozers
221991Gumdrop for Ever!
231992Gumdrop's Merry Christmas
241998Gumdrop and the Martians
252001Gumdrop's School Adventure

References

  1. Eccleshare, Julia (29 July 2014). "Val Biro obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
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