Joe has been invited to a party but he has lost the invitation with the address. He walks down the road with his mum, looking for the right house, all the while wondering aloud if he even wants to get there.

What If…? really struck a chord with me, as one of those kids whose first reaction to something ‘fun’ was invariably one of anxiety. Anthony Browne is such a master in his surreal rendering of familiar things, and the scale of his illustrations reflect the disproportionate worry that can affect children experiencing something unknown.

What If?…, by Anthony Browne, published by Picture Corgi, is available now.