The Gruffalo - Official Website Play & Explore The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure – a world first - has landed in the Wild Woods at Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Kids and parents alike will be able to join Mouse on a picturesque riverboat journey through th... - Read more World Book Day Special Announcement - Macmillan Children’s Books is delighted to announce their official World Book Day UK &pound... - Read more Gruffalos, Ladybirds and Other Beasts: Oxford Playhouse - See Julia Donaldson on stage in Oxford! - Read more New look Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Books - We are delighted to announce the publishing of brand new redesigned covers. - Read more The Gruffalo Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary on Stage - This year the live Gruffalo stage show celebrates its 15th anniversary! - Read more The Gruffalo: Julia Donaldson: 9780142403877: Amazon.com: Books Julia Donaldson Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com.

When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . While sitting in the public library, Henry discovers an article that will change his life forever. Kindle Edition Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly The eponymous character introduced by this British team owes a large debt to Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. When Mouse meets Fox in the "deep dark wood," he invents a story about the gruffalo, described very much like Sendak's fearsome quartet of wild thingsA"He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws." The gullible fox runs away when Mouse tells him that the gruffalo's favorite food is roasted fox. "Silly old Fox!" says Mouse, "Doesn't he know?/ There's no such thing as a gruffalo!" Owl and Snake follow suit until, with a turn of the page, Mouse runs into the creature he has imagined.

Quick-thinking Mouse then tells the monster, "I'm the scariest creature in this deep dark wood./ Just walk behind me and soon you'll see,/ Everyone for miles is afraid of me." Fox, Owl and Snake appear to be terrified of the tiny mouse, but readers can plainly see the real object of their fears. By story's end, the gruffalo flees, and Mouse enjoys his nut lunch in peace. Despite the derivative plot line, debut author Donaldson manipulates the repetitive language and rhymes to good advantage, supplying her story with plenty of scary-but-not-too-scary moments. Scheffler's gruffalo may seem a goofy hybrid of Max's wild things, but his cartoonlike illustrations build suspense via spot-art previews of the monster's orange eyes, black tongue and purple prickles until the monster's appearance in full. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Julia Donaldson: I'm like the mouse in the Gruffalo | Books | The Guardian The Observer Julia Donaldson: I'm like the mouse in the Gruffalo Julia Donaldson is Britain's bestselling author, beating even JK Rowling, and The Gruffalo has won the hearts of children around the world. Unveiling her latest character, the former songwriter talks to Clare Dwyer Hogg about unlikely success, losing a son – and why she's like the mouse in her most famous story Children’s hour: Julia Donaldson in a side room off her kitchen which is filled with colourful props. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Observer Clare Dwyer Hogg Share on Messenger Close Cross the threshold into Julia Donaldson 's home and it feels as though the house is greeting you as much as its owner. It's friendly. Worn floorboards, high ceilings, doors ajar to rooms with big comfortable furniture. There are books, knick-knacks, lots of photographs pinned to boards. Donaldson leads the way to the kitchen that has an alluring entrance into a side room, all shelves, with bright props spilling out of boxes.

Her husband Malcolm appears, offering coffee, and as Julia settles down at the table she says wistfully that the place is a little bare. "The house may look cluttered, but it's actually…" She looks around. "There was loads of…" She points to a row of cupboards, bare on top. "All the broken things, but which looked beautiful from a distance, were up there…" Julia Donaldson doesn't speak in rhyme. Of course she doesn't. But it almost wouldn't be surprising if she did, given her status as towering giant in the world of children's books. Many of her 160 books, which span plays, picture stories, novels and educational books, are in rhyme, and her name has become inextricably linked to jaunty verse and easy rhythm. In real life, though, she manages to articulately conjure up a vision of what she's describing, while often not quite finishing sentences and half-saying words. It's as if her sentences leave a whimsical trail in the air, waiting for the listener to catch the thread and weave their own end.

Donaldson's success has been a little like that – she started the sentence, and everything else aligned to finish it in a rather different way than she intended. Until 1993, when her first picture book, A Squash and a Squeeze , was published, she was a freelance songwriter. She was 44 when a publisher approached her out of the blue, turning what had been a song into a book illustrated by Axel Scheffler . Which was fortuitous timing, because cost-cutting at the BBC, which she often wrote for, meant that work was drying up. She remembers quite clearly being "prostrate on the floor, banging my fists and yelling" in frustration around this time, as freelancing was becoming increasingly tricky. Dynamic duo: Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler in 2007. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Observer That was her first encounter with Scheffler, the German illustrator based in London. It was going to be a long and fruitful relationship.

For the next six years, aside from 17 educational books she penned, Julia Donaldson was a songwriter with just one book in the shops – until The Gruffalo , her story about a little mouse who imagines a monster (with terrible tusks and terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws) that turns out to be real. Who knew it would be such a sensation? Certainly not Julia Donaldson, nor Axel Scheffler (and not the other publisher she first sent it to, whose name she won't say, who sat on it for a year until she found a taker at Macmillan). She couldn't have predicted that in 2014, 40p in every £1 spent on picture books in the UK would be spent on a Donaldson title. In 2013, and in the first quarter of 2014, she was the UK's number one bestselling author across all books – children's and adults'. Think about it: more than Harry Potter, more than Fifty Shades of Grey. On that kind of profit, some people start drawing up plans for underground swimming pools.

She acknowledges this while chopping tomatoes for lunch, a little embarrassed that they were able to buy a new house before having completed on the current one, but says she still lives frugally and loves bargains. Her trusty oven stands next to her, a silent and persuasive corroborator. It's one of those ones where the grill is head-height. It's not at all in the modern aesthetic, with its white plastic and small oven, but is practical and works fine. She isn't materialistic. The main difference money brings, she agrees, is the freedom – and she doesn't have to panic any more about Malcolm's boundless generosity, like she did when they were skint. He's a retired paediatrician, but when he's not teaching Malcolm is part of his wife's troupe (generally made up of anyone she can rope in to help), travelling the world, acting out her books. Earlier this year, had you been at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, you would have seen him play the fox from the Gruffalo – with a French accent – opposite a German owl (who happened to be Scheffler).

'Her husband Malcolm says: “She writes the words, I remember them.”' Pictured: Julia and Malcolm busking in Bristol. Photograph courtesy of Julia Donaldson The songwriting career made sense – Julia grew up in a very musical household; her mother was secretary of the London Leader Group, her father put on concerts, and their house in Hampstead was always abuzz. Julia and her younger sister Mary lived with their parents, aunt and uncle, and grandparents – "Like Milly Molly Mandy," Malcolm says, walking through the kitchen – and the children were never short of someone to read them a story. It wasn't all idyllic, though; her father contracted polio when she was young, which left him using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. "I suppose children just accept whatever their lot is," she says. "It was all just fine. Then one time my mother… started to cry and suddenly… it came home to me that it was a big deal." Her father had a cerebral job – he did a groundbreaking study on identical twins – so could continue to work, and still played his beloved cello, but those were the days when the world didn't cater for disability.

"My father was a very lovely, gentle, patient sort of character naturally," Julia says, "but occasionally he would be frustrated and one day just flung the butter knife across the room. One time only he suddenly yelled: 'I wish I could walk.'" She moves her head as she speaks, and her half-sentences flitting here and there are brush strokes, snippets of thought that paint a vivid picture. Her father died of a heart attack at the age of 59 – a big loss. It had been hard for her mother, who died just 11 years ago, but "they were tremendous companions," she says. The pair would discover old songs and her mother would research them. "One was called 'The Little Strawberry'. My mother spent hours in the British Museum – Malcolm used to laugh – trying to find who was the little strawberry. She never found out." The house is emptier than usual because Julia and Malcolm are leaving. After 25 years in this old house just outside Glasgow, where they raised their three boys, Hamish, Jerry, and Alastair, they're moving to a small town in Sussex. There's the proviso of a flat in Edinburgh for regular visits to Jerry's children in Dundee.

Alastair's children live in Oxfordshire, so they'll divide their grandparent time as equally as possible. It's a big job packing up – the removal men have been here once already – and there's a lot to go. "I've just taken over the whole house," she says, with a giggle. "You'll see." It's always a poignant time, selling the family home, but these walls have perhaps witnessed more than their fair share of heartbreak amid the joy. Hamish, their eldest, killed himself in 2003. He was 25 years old and had lived with schizoaffective disorder, which had psychotic symptoms similar to schizophrenia and mood symptoms similar to bipolar disorder. She finds it hard to fix neat labels on Hamish's life. "The thing is, [the diagnosis] makes it sound like he was ill all the time," she says, searching for the words. "The main thing was just – well, I think he was sort of ill all the time – but in between crises he was a lovely, lovely boy, but he was just – somehow no one could handle, no one could cope with him right from the word go, the playgroup…" Later she gives a tour of their photographs.

Among the pictures of Julia and Malcolm in owl and pussycat costumes (from "a brilliant exhibition called 26 Characters in the Story Museum in Oxford"), their grandchildren, a boat, there's a photograph of a beautiful tousle-haired toddler, face upturned, giving his grandfather a kiss. The man is Malcolm's father; the little boy is Hamish. The landline rings. "So loud because my hearing's…" Donaldson says, drifting into ellipses, as she leaves. It's her agent. A conversation ensues about the size of her name on a children's book she's written the foreword to: Donaldson felt her name had been too big on the initial proof, given she hadn't written it. They've just seen a version with smaller type – but should it be smaller still? She brings the book to the kitchen table to have another look. "They want to put my name on it because just at present that will help sell the book, but I don't want to seem swanky," she says, peering at it. Monster success: the bestselling Gruffalo and The Scarecrow's Wedding, Donaldon and Scheffler's latest collaboration.

Photograph: Macmillan Children's Books and Alison Green Books (an imprint of Scholastic) What's funny is that while her name boosts other people's sales, the publishers often make sure that on her own books there's a "By the author of The Gruffalo" sign. By this rationale, the Gruffalo appears to be even more famous than Julia Donaldson MBE, Children's Laureate from 2011-13 , who has her picture in the National Portrait Gallery. This could be true. The Gruffalo has been translated into more than 40 languages (including Scots) and made into a touring stage play, an animated film (that had 9 million viewers when it aired on Christmas Day in 2012), and his toothy grin stares out from T-shirts, plates, mugs, notebooks, games, you name it. "I mean, I do feel quite like the mouse in the story," Donaldson says with her little laugh. "You know: 'Oh!

That's the Gruffalo – I thought it was just in my imagination.'" If you aren't embedded in the stage of constantly reading books to small children it might sound like exaggeration, but there is a real cult of Julia Donaldson. She doesn't deny it – can't – but tries hard to undercut the sentiment: "I think you get more appreciation than probably strictly you're due because parents so love their children that if you come in to that little magic world, they probably think you're more wonderful than you actually are." It's not just the parents. Donaldson spends a day a week replying to letters and answering questions, many from children. A few of the funniest have made it to a pinboard in the downstairs loo ("Dear Julia I'm rubish at hand stabs bcuse I orwas forl over" or the one from an unfortunate teacher who wrote to Julia about "helping the class with there writing").

She fetches a pile of post and leafs through it, plucking out examples: "You get demanding ones just saying: 'Could you send me four books please'"; there's a letter from a mother thanking her for inspiring her dyslexic son – "so nice, isn't it"; someone in Russia doing a PhD based on her books; and – "this one made me laugh: 'Is your next book gonna have bad guys?'" She was able to reply a hearty "Yes!" given that her latest book, The Scarecrows' Wedding, out later this month, features a very bad guy. He comes in the form of Reginald Rake, a dandy (and scarecrow) who smokes cigars and nearly sets the goodie scarecrow, Betty O'Barley, on fire. Her granddaughter Poppy, who is four, absolutely loves it. "She loves accidents, you know," Julia says, explaining she's forever being asked to recount tales of her uncle Jerry getting burnt as a child, or how her dad Alastair accidentally poked a stick in Julia's eye. Malcolm comes through the kitchen again. "You don't want to recite The Scarecrows' Wedding now?" he says.

So in practice for next month's Edinburgh Festival, they stand together, arms outstretched like scarecrows, and tell the tale, including accents. And without props or exact words from Julia – Malcolm, modest about being word-perfect says: "She writes the words, I remember them" – it is still very edifying to be told a story. Edifying to meet the storyteller behind the story, too, and discover she is someone who keeps broken things because they look beautiful. The Scarecrows' Wedding is out on 17 July, published by Alison Green Books (an imprint of Scholastic) at £12.99. To order a copy for £9.99, with free UK p&p, go to theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846 as of 17 July 'My original Gruffalo was scarier, with bigger claws – and the mouse had a Bavarian hat and lederhosen' Published: 30 Jan 2012 The former children's laureate and Gruffalo author is a huge fan of the National Portrait Gallery, with its glimpses into people's true characters.

So when she was immortalised in paint, she made sure all her creations came too Published: 13 Jun 2014 Author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler look back over their working relationship on the 20th anniversary of their first collaboration Published: 13 Feb 2013 Julia Donaldson says inadequate attention is paid to an area that brings in a quarter of all UK book sales Published: 4 Jun 2013 The Gruffalo - The Story The Story The story so far The Gruffalo is one of the world’s best-loved monsters. Since it was first published in 1999, the award-winning story of his encounter with the little brown mouse in the deep dark wood has continued to delight children and adults the world over. Created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the most successful author/illustrator partnership in picture book publishing, The Gruffalo is a modern classic, and both mouse and monster have become stars of stage and screen as well as story-time favourites. It all began when Julia Donaldson came across a Chinese tale about a clever girl who tricks a hungry tiger into believing she is the Queen of the Jungle and scares him away.

Julia thought this would make the basis for a good picture book story, but couldn’t think of anything to rhyme with ‘tiger’ – so she created her own monster whose name had to end in O, to rhyme with ‘doesn’t he know’. In fact, if you’ve ever wondered why the Gruffalo looks the way he does, that also has a lot to do with things that just happened to rhyme, like toes and nose, and black and back. But of course the Gruffalo as we know him didn’t come fully to life until Axel Scheffler picked up his pencil and drew him. He might have looked quite different; at first, Axel sketched out a monster who was even more frightening than the one we know! He also thought about making the animals wear clothes, but in the end this didn’t happen, perhaps to Axel’s relief: imagine trying to dress a snake! Five years after the publication of The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child was introduced to the world, starring in her very own adventure – and proved an instant hit. It was voted The Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book of the Year Awards in 2005.

The Gruffalo, too, has won many awards, including the Nestlé Smarties Prize and the Blue Peter Award for The Best Book to Read Aloud – and in 2009 was voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story. But Gruffalo fans are everywhere: the story has been translated into over fifty languages, including Thai, Russian, Scots and Maori . . . and for Classics scholars, there is even a Latin edition. Truly an international phenomenon, both books have been made into hugely successful films , featuring the voices of Robbie Coltrane, James Corden, John Hurt and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as being adapted for the stage . And of course you can find a multitude of monstrously good Gruffalo gifts and merchandise in the Gruffalo Shop . Picture books by children's author, Julia Donaldson Somebodyï¿½s hiding. I wonder who. Itï¿½s a little baby and sheï¿½s peeping at you. Lift the flaps and find the babies. Sing the song and do the actions. A book for babies with an online song to accompany it.

Click to see me sing the song ï¿½With a rhyming text by Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson that is just made for reading (or singing) aloud, and illustrations by one of our most talented picture book artists, this superb board book has all the makings of a classic. ï¿½ It takes extraordinary skill to create a text so short, simple and yet so effective, and Rebecca Cobb paints the babies with a delicacy that perfectly captures every move and expression. Simply wonderful.ï¿½ Andrea Reece, LoveReading4Kids Macmillan, isbn 978-1447220145 A string of paper dolls go on a fantastical adventure through the house and out into the garden. They soon escape the clutches of the toy dinosaur and the snapping jaws of the oven-glove crocodile, but then a very real pair of scissors threatens... Did you know that The Paper Dolls broke a Guinness World Record?

Find out more here: There is also a Book and CD edition with Lauren Laverne Shortlisted for the Sheffield Book Awards 2013, the Scottish Childrenï¿½s Book Awards 2014, the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 and the Independent Booksellers Week Picture Book Award 2014 "A picturebook that seems simple but gets richer every time you look at it ...... Cobb’s illustrations capture the joy of childhood; between them she and the Children’s Laureate have made a book that works like magic." The Sunday Times One Ted Falls Out of Bed illustrated by Anna Currey Macmillan, isbn 978-0333947821 This is perhaps the picture book text which I feel most proud of, as I’d always wanted to write a simple yet exciting rhyming adventure which would also be a sort of counting book. I wrote it in 2000 but it was hard to find the right illustrator. It was worth waiting for Anna Currey, though – her pictures are so warm and humorous and perfectly capture the atmosphere of the night-time bedroom, and her teddy bear is adorable.

There is also a board book version, and a Book and CD edition , with Saskia Wickham . "Another little miracle from Julia Donaldson… it has the robust feel of a classic." The Bookseller Little Tiger, isbn 978-1845061876 John Henderson was one of my adult students when I was writer in residence in Easterhouse, Glasgow, and this story is based on a true event from John’s childhood. When a boy finds a young pigeon, half-starved, in a derelict warehouse in Glasgow, he takes the bird home, looks after him and teaches him to fly. Da says that Percy the pigeon should be set free but the boy wants him to stay for ever . . . “A warm and thoughtful story that treats difficult issues with tact and subtlety” The Guardian “one of those books you want to press into the hands of passers-by, whatever their age” The Herald Princess Mirror-Belle and the Dragon Pox illustrated by Lydia Monks Macmillan, isbn 978-0230771970 Ellen gets a big shock when her double appears out of the bathroom mirror, but Mirror-Belle is a double with a difference!

She is a princess, and a mischievous one at that. She is sure that Ellen's chicken pox is actually dragon pox - and she is full of ideas about how to make the spots disappear. there is a book and CD edition with Lauren Laverne ï¿½A marvellous flight of fancyï¿½ Teach Primary ï¿½A wonderful fairy-story romp for girls, it is very refreshing to see girls for a change, in a story, making an absolute mess and turning a bathroom topsy-turvyï¿½ a great introduction to independent readingï¿½ The School Librarian Macmillan, isbn 978-1447240198 When Sugarlump the rocking horse wishes to see the world, a magical unicorn with a silver horn and sparkling blue eyes turns him into a real horse. But after trotting around the farm, galloping around a racetrack and even dancing at the circus, Sugarlump learns to be careful what he wishes for and realises how much he misses the children he left behind. Luckily the unicorn has one more wish to grant . . .

There is a book and CD edition with Joanna Page Shortlisted for the new Independent Booksellers Week Picture Book Award (2014). ï¿½an absolute delight to read aloudï¿½ Daily Mail Macmillan, isbn 978-1447210856 The singing mermaid is tempted away from her home shores to join the circus. The audiences love her but the poor mermaid, kept in a tank by the wicked circus owner Sam Sly, soon longs to return to the freedom of the sea. Will she ever escape? There is a book and CD edition with Lauren Laverne "Donaldson's reliably entertaining rhymes and Monks's brilliantly bold illustrations - plus a sprinkling of sparking glitter - add up to a delightful rhyming adventure for pre-schoolers" Daily Mail "This is a lovely story, gently told, about trust, betrayal, friendship and courage. Like the best children's books it invites children to experience the story in ways that appeal to them" The Guardian Macmillan, isbn 978-0230706507 Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird and a whole farmyard of fun!

Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s prize cow. But they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: she has a plan of her own. There is also a sound book, a Letï¿½s Read edition, a read and play farm and a Book and CD edition , with Alexander Armstrong. Winner of the Stockport Schools Book awards and the Royal Mail book awards You can see me acting out the story as part of an author’s live webcast on the Scottish Booktrust site Click to see Malcolm and me sing What the Ladybird Heard “Classic Julia Donaldson rhyming text makes this farmyard tale bound along” The Bookseller “... a terrific and witty adventure told in Julia Donaldson’s trademark rhyming couplets. Lydia Monks’ original and stylised farmyard fits the story perfectly.” The Guardian A fairy story about colours By changing her colour and changing her shape The princess may try seven times to escape. But each time Princess Eliza changes – into a blue fish, a yellow chick, a red fox or a black cat – the wicked wizard finds her and sets her another horrible task.

Will this plucky princess be able to outwit him and escape back to the palace in time to cut her birthday cake? There is also an activity book, a Big Book , a sound book, a Let's Read edition and a book and CD edition , with Imelda Staunton "A sparkly princess and an equally sparkly, though somewhat darker, wizard battle it out across some glorious colour spreads. . . an exceptionally pleasing replay of a familiar story” – The Guardian illustrated by Lydia Monks, with glitter on every page Macmillan, Look! A crab, a crab with no shell, Running along by the sea . . . When the little hermit crab finds a shiny new shell he doesn’t want to share it – not with a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. Join Crab, Blob and Brush in the rock pool for a sparkly story of sea, shells and friendship. There is also a board book edition, a Big Book version, a jigsaw book, a Book and CD edition and and a Book and CD edition with Julian Clary. "sunny glittery story….

clear characterful pictures and jolly verse for reading out loud" The Independent "Bright, bold and fun." Publishing News (Book of the Month) “Hey!” said Day Monkey. “There’s a banana! How can it manage to fly?” Night Monkey laughed and said, “Don’t be daft, That banana’s the moon in the sky.” Night Monkey and Day Monkey’s worlds are as different as . . . night and day! But in laughing at each other’s misunderstandings they learn to be the best of friends. There is also a board book and an audio edition with Imelda Staunton, including book and CD with story, games and songs. "A charmingly rhythmic poem… a clever way of reassuring small children about night-time." The Evening Standard "Reassuring and funny, this is ideal bedtime reading for bright children." The Independent on Sunday. Jack and the Flumflum Tree illustrated by David Roberts Macmillan, isbn 978-0330504065 Jack’s Granny is sick with a bad case of the moozles! And the only cure is the fruit of the fantastic flumflum tree which grows on the faraway Isle of Blowyernose.

It’s a perilous journey, but Jack bravely sets sail, with a motley crew of only three – and a large patchwork sack that Granny has filled with an odd assortment of items from chewing-gum to tent pegs. But what use will they be against hungry sharks, a leaky boat and a thieving monkey . . .? There is a book and CD edition with David Tennant. Jack and the Flumflum Tree won the 2012 Oldham Schools' Book Awards and was shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards. Click to watch a performance of the Jack and the Flumflum Tree song "There are hints of Edward Learï¿½s verse in this funny, appealing and imaginative picture book. Julia Donaldsonï¿½s engaging text is perfectly accompanied by beautiful and quirky illustrations by David Roberts" Booktrust "The rhythmic refrain . . .

had my twin baby boys clapping their hands in merriment, and the gleeful-looking characters help the story deal with courage and altruism in the lightest of ways" Daily Telegraph Macmillan, isbn 978-0230017948 All the Troll wants is to catch a goat – but when a string of other creatures trip-trap over his bridge instead, he’s stuck with boring old fish for supper. Bother! Meanwhile, Hank Chief and his pirate crew love fish – but without a decent recipe or cook between them, their slimy supper is revolting. If only they could find the buried treasure and afford to pay a ship’s cook – but it seems they’ve sailed to the wrong island. Again. Watch the fun unfold as these two worlds collide. There is also a book and CD edition with Alex Jennings Winner of the Stockport Schools Book Awards “An ingenious, lively creation, guaranteed not to get anybody's goat.” The Observer Macmillan, isbn 978-0-230-01550-0 Whoever heard of a vegetarian T Rex?

When a baby Duckbill dinosaur ends up in the Tyrannosaurus nest, he feels very out of place, and his gruesome new family nickname him Drip. But this little dinosaur is not as weedy as he looks. In fact, he's a real hero! There is also an activity book, a Let's Read edition and a Book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton There is also a play version for a whole class to act out. "A honking, hooting success" The Bookseller “The roaring, hooting, monster success of the season” The Times “rollicks along very engrossingly” Independent “Comic, dynamic and charming” Sunday Times A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good. Walk further into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when the quick-thinking mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake and a hungry gruffalo . . . "a modern classic" The Observer Buy a signed copy from Julia's local bookshop The Gruffalo won the Smarties prize, the Blue Peter prize for Best Book to Read Aloud and the Experian Big Three award.

The audio version voiced by Imelda Staunton, (which also includes The Gruffalo song) won the Spoken Book Award for Best Childrenï¿½s Audio. The book has sold about 11.5 million copies and there are 72 foreign editions . The Gruffalo has even appeared on Broadway, in the Tall Stories play based on the book, which frequently tours the UK. (For performing details visit, .) The animation of the story, produced by Magic Light, has won several awards and was nominated for a Bafta and an Oscar. Buy the DVD from Amazon There are all sorts of different formats, gift and anniversary editions, activity and novelty books, plus an annual and a series of ï¿½My First Gruffaloï¿½. My own favourites among these ï¿½spin-offsï¿½ are the following: The Gruffalo Pop-up Theatre Book, The Fifteenth Anniversary edition which includes some of Axel Schefflerï¿½s original sketches, and the four Gruffalo Explorers Books. One snowy night when the Gruffalo snored The Gruffalo’s Child was feeling bored.

The Gruffalo’s Child was feeling brave So she tiptoed out of the gruffalo cave . . . I had been resisting the idea of writing a sequel to The Gruffalo until I began to wonder how the Gruffalo would feel about the mouse five years later. Supposing in the Gruffalo’s mind he had become the Big Bad Mouse, to be avoided by all gruffalos big and small, what then? The Gruffalo’s Child won the W.H. Smith Children’s Book of the Year award at the 2005 British Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Red House Childrens’ Book Award. There is also a Gruffalo’s Child jigsaw book, board book, activity book, Big Book, special Gift Edition, a 10th anniversary edition with some of Axel Shefflerï¿½s original sketches, a magnet book, a colouring book, a Let's Read edition, a sound book and an audio version with Imelda Staunton . There is also an edition translated into Scots by James Robertson, called The Gruffaloï¿½s Wean. The Tall Stories play based on the book frequently tours the UK. For performing details visit, .

The animation of the story, produced my Magic Light, was shown on BBC1 on Christmas day 2011. Click here to see Julia and Malolm singing The Gruffalo's Child Song "A variation on the relationship between the canny mouse and the gentle but huge and ugly Gruffalo, so deliciously played out in The Gruffalo, is wittily recreated in this welcome encore." The Guardian "The Gruffalo’s Child achieves the impossible - an even more endearing, witty and delightful book than its parent." The Bookseller Alison Green Books, isbn 978-1407170749 Two scarecrows, Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay, are planning the perfect wedding. But wicked scarecrow, Reginald Rake, has other ideas and almost ruins their special day. Harry must become a hero before he and Betty can have the wedding of their dreams. There is also a book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton ï¿½The perfect marriage of rhyme and pictures ï¿½ the delightful repetition and gentle humour are matched with wonderfully detailed illustrations that reveal more on each reading.

A joy from start to finish.ï¿½ The Daily Mail ï¿½Fabulous rhymes that are a joy to read out, wowey illustrations and winks to the grown-upsï¿½ The Times ï¿½Thereï¿½s huge warmth in every word, every drawingï¿½ An irresistible delightï¿½ Financial Times isbn 978-1407170725 Meet the wriggliest, squiggliest superhero in the world! Never fear! Superworm is here – and he’s wiggling to the rescue! He can be a lasso, a fishing-line, even a skipping-rope. But who will rescue Superworm when he falls prey to a wicked Wizard Lizard? Luckily, all of his insect friends have a cunning plan ... Winner of the German Buxterhuder Kälbchen Picture Book Prize 2013 and winner of the Red House Childrenï¿½s Book Award for Younger Children 2014.

There is also a book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton ï¿½The energetic worm will keep audiences squirming with pleasureï¿½ The Observer ï¿½A word loverï¿½s delight in rousing, rhyming verseï¿½ The New York Times ï¿½Itï¿½s the sheer imaginative tour de force of Donaldsonï¿½s jaunty rhyming narrative and Schefflerï¿½s brilliantly funny illustrations that will have this book wriggling into your affections. Another winnerï¿½ The Herald Give me your buns and your biscuits! Give me your chocolate éclairs! For I am the Rat of the highway, and the Rat Thief never shares! Life is not safe for the other animals, as the villainous Highway Rat gallops along the highway, stealing their food: clover from a rabbit, nuts from a squirrel - he even steals his own horse's hay. Will he finally meet his comeuppance, in the form of a cunning duck?

There is a board book and a book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton "Donaldsonï¿½s ear for rhyme is unequalled, and Schefflerï¿½s busy, funny illustrations make this ideal for reading aloud with lots of voices and chances to join inï¿½ Daily Mail “Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are both on top form here” The Telegraph Alison Green Books, isbn 978-1407170763 Zog is the keenest dragon in school. He’s also the most accident-prone, getting into one scrape after another as he learns to roar and fly and breathe fire. But who is the mysterious little girl that keeps coming to his aid? And can she really help with his toughest test: capturing a princess? Zog won the Galaxy Book Award in 2010 and the Oxfordshire Book Award 2011.

There is a board book, an activity book and a Book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton Click to see the Flying Doctors song "The Gruffalo duo do it again with this fable about a dragon, a knight and a damsel in distress, none of them the stock characters we know from fairytale. Donaldsonï¿½s rhymes and Schefflerï¿½s illustrations mesh sublimely." Financial Times "The Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler dream team returns with the tale of Zog, a keen yet accident-prone dragonï¿½ Look out for cameos from The Gruffalo in Schefflerï¿½s rich illustrations." Independent on Sunday Alison Green Books, isbn 978-1407170701 Tabby McTat is a busker’s cat. He loves his life with Fred, singing along as people throw coins in their hat. Then one day Fred has an accident and the two are separated. How will they every find each other again? A touching story of friendship, loyalty, singing - and kittens!

There is an Early Reader edition and a book and CD edition with Imelda Staunton “The latest sure-fire bestseller from Julia & Axel is the story of Tabby McTat the busker’s cat. Can you feel the text tripping from your tongue already? Julia’s trademark rhythmic verse will entertain parent and child alike while Axel’s illustrations provide something to pore over time and time again.” The Bookseller Alison Green Books, isbn 978-1407170718 Stick Man lives in the family tree With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three ï¿½. But the world is a dangerous place for a Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him. A swan builds her nest with him. He even ends up on a fire! Will he ever get back to the family tree? There is a board book, a jigsaw book, an Early Readers edition, a First Words edition and also a Book and CD edition and an audio edition , both with Imelda Staunton. The Scamp play based on the book frequently tours the UK.

For performing details visit An irresistibly jaunty picture book, spiced with the danger familiar to all those who love The Gruffalo. Julia Donaldson’s rhyming text brings the tale to a satisfying conclusion.” The Guardian ï¿½Another cracker of a book. Donaldsonï¿½s rhymes bound along, like vintage Dr Seuss, while Schefflerï¿½s slyly witty illustrations are a pleasure. Stick Manï¿½s dogged insistence on his own identity will resonate with children and grown-ups alike.ï¿½ Financial Times Alison Green Books, isbn 978-1407170756 Tiddler is a little fish who tells the tallest tales in the ocean. But did he really ride a seahorse? Did he really meet a mermaid? And what about the scariest story of them all – the one about the fishermen and the net? There is a board book, a jigsaw book, an Early Readers edition, an activity book and also a Book and CD edition and an audio edition with Imelda Staunton. There is also a play version for a whole class to act out.

There is a Scamp play based on Tiddler, along with A Squash and a Squeeze, Monkey Puzzle and The Smartest Giant in Town. The play is called Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales and it frequently tours the UK. For performing details visit Shortlisted for the 2009 Independent Booksellers' Award “A pleasing romp” The Guardian “Picture book perfection” Independent on Sunday The sea snail slithered all over the rock And gazed at the sea and the ships in the dock. And as she gazed she sniffed and sighed. “The sea is deep and the world is wide! How I long to sail” Said the tiny snail. This is probably my favourite of all the books I have written for Axel Scheffler to illustrate, perhaps because I feel I have captured something of the soulful whimsy of the Edward Lear poems I enjoyed as a child. There is also a board book, a Big Book version, a Let's Read edition, an activity book, a colouring book and an audio edition with Imelda Staunton. The Snail and the Whale has been translated into British sign language and you can watch it by going to .

The Snail and the Whale won the 2004 Early Years award for the best pre-school book, the 2005 Blue Peter award for Best Book to Read Aloud, and the 2007 Giverny award for Best Science Picture Book. The audio version, which includes The Snail and the Whale song, won the Spoken Book gold award for best audio for 6 and under. "Bold and brilliant, wise and wacky." The Times "A joy to read aloud" The Guardian The Smartest Giant in Town illustrated by Axel Scheffler Macmillan, isbn 978-1509812530 George wishes he wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town. So when he sees a new shop selling giant-size clothes he decides it’s time for a new look. But on his way home he meets various animals who desperately need his help . . . and his clothes! There is also a board book, a Big Book version, an activity book and an audio edition with Imelda Staunton and Steven Pacey. The Smartest Giant in Town features in a Scamp play called Tiddler and other Terrific Tales which frequently tours the UK.

For performing details visit The book was shortlisted for the Blue Peter, Red House, Sheffield and Portsmouth book awards. The audio version, which includes George’s song, won the Spoken Book gold award for best audio for 6 and under. "My absolute favourite of this year’s picture books… Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are a combination made in heaven." The Independent on Sunday. "Who could resist?" The Sunday Times How the cat purred and how the witch grinned As they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind. But how many passengers will one broomstick take? And what about the dragon who fancies “witch and chips” for tea? There is also a board book, a Big Book, an activity book, a colouring book, a sound book, A Let's Read edition, an interactive ebook as well as an audio edition with Josie Lawrence. Room on the Broom has been translated into 22 languages including Scots and has won 6 book awards (Scottish, Sheffield, Stockport, Norfolk, Blue Peter and Mumsnet). The audio version, which includes the Room on the Broom song, won the Spoken Book Award for the best audio for 6 and under.

The animated film of Room on the Broom, produced by Magic Light, was shown on BBC TV at Christmas 2012. It was awarded the Crystal for Best TV Production at the Annecy Animation Festival 2013 and was nominated for an Oscar in 2014. Room on the Broom has been translated into British sign language and you can watch it by going to . The Tall Stories play based on the book frequently tours the UK. For performing details visit . "Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have come up with another gem… we loved it." The Independent “I’ve lost my mum!” “Hush, little monkey, don’t you cry, I’ll help you find her,” said Butterfly. But somehow Butterfly keeps getting it wrong. Will Monkey ever find his mum? As well as the book there is an audio edition with Imelda Staunton, including the Monkey Puzzle song, which won a silver award in the Spoken Book Awards. There is also a board book, a Big Book version and a Jigsaw book. Monkey Puzzle has been tranlated into British sign language and you can watch it by going to .

Monkey Puzzle features in a Scamp play called Tiddler and other Terrific Tales which frequently tours the UK. For performing details visit “Wise old man, won’t you help me, please? My house is a squash and a squeeze.” This was my first book, published in 1993, but it started its life earlier still, as a song which I wrote for children’s television. There is also a Big Book, a board book, a Braille edition, a Letï¿½s Read edition, a 20th anniversary edition with early drawings from Axelï¿½s sketchbook and audio version with Imelda Staunton, Steven Pacey and Julia which includes both story and song (I sing the part of the little old lady!) A Squash and a Squeeze features in a Scamp play called Tiddler and other Terrific Tales which frequently tours the UK. For performing details visit Rabbit’s feeling sleepy. She curls up in a chair. Tap tap! Who’s there? Oh dear, it’s builder bear. And then there’s the band of mice, the wood-chopping fox and the bell on Hedgehog’s bicycle – will Rabbit ever doze off?

One of the four lift-the-flap books in the Acorn Wood series, printed on tough paper for toddler’s hands. "My one year old daughter is absolutely enchanted by this book and just loves lifting the cardboard flap and revealing the animals underneath… All her other books are sitting on the shelf gathering dust - she always just grabs this one!" Amazon reader Macmillan, isbn 978-1447280842 The jackdaw is flying into danger! The other animals are trying to warn him, but he canï¿½t understand the signs theyï¿½re using. I helped a group of deaf children write this story in a workshop run by the Life & Deaf Association. My share of the royalties for this book all go to this organisation.

There is a book and CD edition with Justin Fletcher "A smattering of rhyme, creatures to identify and Sharrattï¿½s amusing pictures make for a lively ï¿½eyes happy, feet tappyï¿½ book with great appeal for the very young." The Sunday Times Childrenï¿½s Book of the Week Macmillan, isbn 978-1447210948 Thereï¿½s a commotion in the classroom as Goat and the other animals spend the day at playgroup. The musical instruments and the dressing up box are lots of fun, but ï¿½ oh dear! ï¿½ Goat gets into a muddle or two. A comforting story for any child starting at, or already attending, a playgroup. There is also a board book. "A brilliant book for any little ones off to nursery for the first time. Bright, bold illustrations and a rhyiming story tell the tale of Goat's first day at playgroup.

Comforting and fun." Practical Parenting The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat illustrated by Charlotte Voake Puffin, isbn 978-0141332888 This is a sequel to Edward Lear's favourite rhyme set in a nonsensical land full of adventure. When their beautiful golden ring is stolen, the Owl and the Pussy-cat must travel far from the safety of the Bong-tree glade as their search for the thief leads them across the Sea, to the Chankly Bore and beyond... There is now a book and CD edition with me reading the story and singing the song. Puffin have now brought out a new edition of the original poem The Owl and the Pussy-cat, with illustrations by Charlotte Voake and an introduction by me.

Shortlisted for 2014 Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award and for the 2013 Specsavers British Book Award ï¿½Donaldson has created an entertaining addition to Learï¿½s work, while Charlotte Voake breathes new life into some of his best-loved and most original creationsï¿½ The Guardian ï¿½Donaldsonï¿½s rhythm imitates Lear perfectly and captures his zaninessï¿½ The Sunday Times Interview with Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson | Books | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close When he was working on the illustrations for Julia Donaldson's The Snail and the Whale, a few years after their hugely successful picture book The Gruffalo, Axel Scheffler had the idea that one of the children on the beach in the story could be drawing a gruffalo in the sand. Since then, Donaldson-Scheffler fans have been able to play a game of spot the gruffalo: in each of their books, somewhere in one of the pictures lurks their distinctive brown monster – disguised as a fish, a Christmas decoration, a cuddly toy.

"At the beginning it was quite a naff idea, I thought," Scheffler says, "but I'll have to carry on now because children have started looking for it." The Gruffalo celebrated its 10th birthday this year. On Christmas Day a new 30-minute animation will be screened on BBC1, featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Wilkinson. More than 4m copies have been sold (Donaldson's total sales have topped 14m), a stage show is in the West End, Gruffalo merchandise is in the shops, and last month Radio 2 listeners voted it the nation's favourite bedtime story, ahead of Winnie-the-Pooh. The book has become a classic.

The details of how it came to be are becoming the stuff of publishing legend: how Donaldson had the idea years ago, when she was a jobbing author of educational books, but kept it to herself; how originally the story, derived from a Chinese folk tale, was going to be about a tiger, only tiger wouldn't rhyme; how the 700-word text sat on a publisher's desk for a year before Donaldson, out of frustration, sent it to Scheffler, a German illustrator with whom she had worked years earlier. As for the monster himself, with his terrible teeth and terrible claws, the story goes that she wrote the line "Silly old fox, doesn't he know, there's no such thing as a . . ." before the word "gruffalo" popped into her head. When we flick through the book together in the kitchen of her home in Glasgow, I say how clever it is when the mouse says "Didn't you know, there's no such thing as a Gruffal-" and you turn the page to see the gruffalo for the first time, and the mouse says "OH!". "That was why he was called the Gruffalo," Donaldson explains and then corrects herself.

"No, perhaps he was just the Gruffalo to rhyme with 'doesn't he know." Donaldson was 51 when The Gruffalo was published. Since then her work rate has been phenomenal. She has published more than 20 books, about half of them with Scheffler. This year she brought out her first teenage novel, Running on the Cracks, as well as Tabby McTat with Scheffler, What the Ladybird Heard with Lydia Monks and The Troll with David Roberts. At any one time she has several works in progress: currently Scheffler is working on Zog, a dragon story, there's her first book with the award-winning illustrator Emily Gravett, and she is thinking about who might illustrate a sequel she has written to Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat": "At times I've had quite grandiose ideas and approached some very grand illustrators who've very nicely said no." Meanwhile she has a busy sideline in putting on performances of her stories at schools and festivals with assorted family members.

On shelves up to the ceiling in her "prop room", off the kitchen, are carefully labelled boxes full of puppets, many of them made by Laura Burr, a craft enthusiast in her publisher's marketing department. She demonstrates the rabbit from The Troll, trip-trapping over the bridge with a Californian accent – "good though he is, his mouth doesn't open quite as wide as it could do" – but says her husband Malcolm gets the best parts: "I'm always the narrator or something, but he moans that he always has to be bad or stupid or both.' As a child, growing up in an arty, leftwing Hampstead household with her parents, younger sister Mary, aunt, uncle and grandmother, she wanted to act. "I think those girlhood ambitions are tied up with a sort of romanticism. I genuinely loved acting and I did have some sort of talent, but after I understudied for the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream when I was about 12, I often used to go to the Old Vic and sit up in the gods and I'd imagine almost flying down on to the stage.

It was, I have to admit – not in a really horrible way – this thing of, no one realises, but I am just wonderful." She and her sister were great friends. "I think she sort of hero-worshipped me, and I used to pretend I was – well, I think I believed I was – a fairy in disguise. We had bunk beds and we had this furry dog with a burnt nose called Maflinda, and I would make her do shows, and my father would be playing [string] quartets next door. So I would dangle Maflinda down from the top bunk and she would dance. And then I did this thing of being the witch who never got there and I sort of swung the light and it made this wonderful shadow on the wall and my sister really didn't know how it was done." Donaldson studied drama and French at Bristol university, where she met Malcolm, a medical student. They travelled around Europe, busking, and she began writing down her songs. She sent a tape to the BBC "and that led to a very on and off, up and down sort of career writing songs for children's television".

She also wrote two musicals and an operetta telling the story of their romance, which they performed at their wedding reception. Donaldson was 29 when Hamish, the first of three sons, was born. In the 1980s she helped out at the children's school and began writing sketches for her reading group. She kept these "playlets" in a drawer but wasn't confident enough to contact a publisher until, in 1990, Methuen called her with the idea of making one of her songs, "A Squash and a Squeeze", into a picture book. She began working for educational publishers, writing "plays and retellings of folk tales and things". Donaldson's would be such a happy story, of talent and hard work and well-deserved riches, were it not for one very great sadness. Her son Hamish grew from an imaginative but complicated child into a disturbed adolescent, finally being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He suffered episodes of depression and psychosis and, in 2003, took his life, aged 25.

She mentions him often, along with his brothers Alastair and Jerry (originally called Jesse, "but that didn't go down well in Scotland" – he became Jerry after Julia's father). But her tears are close to the surface. When she became patron of the charity Artlink Central, which brings artists together with people with special needs, Donaldson spoke publicly about Hamish's illness, but she has grown weary of interviewers raking over painful private details. She says: "I think knowledge of mental health is in its infancy, we're in the stone age, so I can't really say it was this or that." But she believes her son was "born different", with some genetic predisposition to psychiatric illness. "I know some people wouldn't agree with that." She believes that her career taking off as it did probably helped her to survive: "That thing of compartmentalising is very important. Especially if you've got something very difficult going on, the best way of coping is to have some other area of your life that's quite separate." Donaldson's teenage novel Running on the Cracks tackles themes of mental illness.

She says: "At the time probably the last thing I would have written was a story about what we were going through. But some of the things coming out now in my writing, maybe just subconsciously – I mean, in a way it's funny that Tiddler and Stick Man and Tabby McTat have all got that theme of someone getting lost and found, and maybe that is a bit about going through it somehow and recovering. Whereas the next one I've done with Axel is called Zog and it's much more lighthearted." She says Tabby McTat is also "very much about handing on to the next generation. I think things do come out that are to do with the stage in life you're at, and what with the children being married and pregnant and things . . ." So she's expecting a grandchild? She sounds delighted: "I am, actually. I wasn't really allowed to say before." Though she is careful not to criticise other writers directly, Donaldson has strong ideas about what children's books should and shouldn't do. She believes she had trouble getting published in the first place because the fashion then was for prose and sentiment.

She spent ages trying to write something "modern", before one editor died and another one said "why don't I do something in rhyme, retelling a traditional tale, which was exactly what the other one had said not to do". Although she has stopped looking for direct inspiration from folk tales and fables, their universal and mythic quality is what she aspires to recreate. The point of a story, whether for adults or children, is that it takes you away from your ordinary experience and on an adventure. Above all, it should have a good plot. "I don't like to generalise, because any book of its kind can be good or bad, and I think Guess How Much I Love You is quite a nice book, but around that time there did seem to be lots of books about a father or mother animal and their baby, and they'd be off together in the woods or something, and the baby would say [she puts on a soppy baby voice] 'will you catch me a . .

.?' or 'will you still love me even if this or that?''' She answers wearily: "yes", and adds: "There's nothing wrong with that, but I can't help feeling that perhaps those sort of books are much nicer for the parent." Nor does she like "preachy" books that carry too-obvious a moral message: "There seemed to be a lot of books as well, like, 'so-and-so was very shy [puts on a dreary voice], so at school no one wanted to play with her, she had all those problems, blah blah, she tried this, she tried that, she tried the other. Then one day someone said 'try smiling', so so-and-so went to school and gave a big smile and then suddenly everyone smiled back. "And you think, well, a) it's not very likely, you know – probably the children will say 'you're all toothy' and it might not have the desired result. And b) it almost seems that those books are there so that if a parent has got a shy child they think 'oh great, I'll get this book, it will help'.

That's what I mean by the picture-book medicine: if I read this book three times a day to her then she might go to school and smile and overcome all her own problems. I don't really think books should be like that." One of Donaldson's favourite authors is the American Arnold Lobel. His book Mouse Soup could be viewed as a kind of inspiration for The Gruffalo as it too features a predator outwitted, albeit via different means, by a mouse. "I love, love Arnold Lobel. I wish he was better known here. He is like my god because in those frog and toad books he's so generous, so inventive. He manages to get about five cracking good ideas into one book and they're so funny, and our children would be in hoots of laughter every time Toad said 'blah'. It was too much. They wouldn't go to sleep because they were so full of mirth." Donaldson's own humour is aimed at parents as well as children.

But the playful comedy of her gorgeous rhythms and rhymes — "'I like Tiddler's story', said little Johnny Dory,/And he told it to his granny, who told it to a crab" – is interspersed with flashes of real fear. She thinks the gruffalo starts to look "more clown-like, more buffoon-like" as the book progresses, but wonders whether the BBC's animation has gone too far the other way: "I've acted it five billion times and obviously I know it completely by heart, but I found the snake and things quite scary." She objects to politically correct censorship of children's literature: "It's easy to underestimate children, and I think it's much better that they have the whole range . . .

It really used to annoy me when Philip Pullman said he hated the Narnia books because it was terrible to have this religious allegory, and I'd be thinking, well hold on, surely that's what's wonderful about books – that you enter into other people's minds and see there's all these different ways of looking at the world?" But she's always trying to come up with new female characters: "'I wanted the gruffalo's child [in the sequel story] to be a girl, and that probably was political correctness in a way, because I had been criticised for the fact that in The Gruffalo they were all male." When Malcolm retires in a few years' time from his post as a paediatrician at Yorkhill children's hospital, they will resume their life as travelling players, maybe moving south, keeping their flat in Edinburgh so they can go back to Scotland for piano lessons. "I think barely a day has gone by in our married life when he hasn't headed for his guitar and played a song.

And he's so supportive, not just being nice but genuinely – he gets back from work and he'll be all agog and say 'are there any good emails?' He once said his favourite job if he wasn't a doctor would be a helper in a playgroup." And what of that other partnership, the most successful writer-illustrator collaboration for decades? "I would love to do a book for Axel about bugs because I love his little bugs, but I haven't managed to think of a good storyline." The idea for Stick Man, their book before last, came from Scheffler: he drew the gruffalo's child holding a stick doll. The image rooted in Donaldson's mind, and grew, nourished by memories: "I think most children, or boys anyway, love playing with sticks. Not just fighting, but Hamish in particular used to play with sticks when we were living in France. We didn't have very many toys because we'd gone without, and he just used to play with bits of cardboard and rubbish and say they were ice-creams or violins.

It's that idea of an object that can become anything in someone's imagination." The Gruffalo: Amazon.co.uk: Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler: 9780230747937: Books Julia Donaldson Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Apple To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. or Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product details Age Range: 3 - 7 years Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books; Reprints edition (4 Sept. 2009) Language: English Product Dimensions: 14.6 x 1.7 x 18.5 cm Average Customer Review: This product is subject to specific safety warnings Warning: Not suitable for children under 3 years. For use under adult supervision Product Description Amazon Review "A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?" "A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?

He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws." And so begins the story of a quick-witted mouse as he encounters a host of predators who seem to think he might make a tasty treat. As he ventures deeper into the deep dark wood, stumbling across a hungry fox, a not-so-wise owl, and a slimy snake, spinning ever-extraordinary yarns about the scary, scaly gruffalo, he quickly realises that the hungry beast he has been talking of isn't imaginary after all. A witty, sly little story that wrings giggles from the belly of the reader, The Gruffalo is both stylish and hilarious, simple in its execution, as it plays skilfully on a child's fears and then shows that even the most threatening of monsters are not always as scary as they seem. A combination of read-along-rhyme by Julia Donaldson and illustrations by Alex Sheffler which perfectly capture the atmosphere of the story, The Gruffalo is an excellent picture book for 3-5-year-olds to read along with their parents, and is certain to become something of a classic. --Susan Harrison --This text refers to an alternate Board book edition.

Review A clever, exuberant story in rhyme with strong, color-saturated pictures to match . . . This is a sure bet. (Booklist) By A Customer on 23 Jun. 2002 Format: Paperback "He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws... He has knobbily knees and turned-out toes, and a poisounous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; He has purple prickles all over his back... He's the Gruffalo! Gruffalo! Gruffalo!" Recently purchased this big book and its fantastic! Its won an award for being the best book to read aloud and it's not hard to see why! You can really go to town on the story telling front with animal and monster voices galore! Plus in this big book version there are some great activity ideas to use with groups of children. It is a great starting point to teach them about rhyme or make up their own imaginary monsters (but hopefully they won't turn out to be real like the Gruffalo!). It even includes a play script and song with sheet music!

If you are interested check out the book and tape pack- the story is read in a lively exciting fashion by actress Imelda Staunton and the tape also includes the Gruffalo song and backing track! Great for a school assembly or show! Very topical at the moment with the recent sucess of "Monsters inc." A must have for infant teachers! The children will love this one. Roald Dahl is teachers' favourite author, Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo wins best children's book | Daily Mail Online comments Roald Dahl has been voted primary school teachers' favourite author. A survey found five of his works are among their top 10 books for children under the age of 11. The man behind The Twits and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory was named by almost twice as many teachers as Julia Donaldson and JK Rowling who shared second place. Firm favourite: Roald Dahl's enduringly popular tales earned him top spot in a list of best children's authors compiled by primary school teachers The prolific author, who wrote dozens of children's books across his lifetime, died in 1990 at the age of 74.

Prolific: Dahl publihsed dozens of children's books over his lifetime Donaldson's The Gruffalo was voted the best book for children in the survey of 848 primary school teachers by the education resources website Teachit Primary. The popular title has proved a hit with children, parents and, it seems, their schoolteachers too, as since its publication it has been made into an animated film and a theatre production. Siobhain Archer, founder,of Teachit Primary said: 'The Gruffalo was teachers' overwhelming favourite book at the moment, polling more than twice as many votes as Louis Sachar's Holes in second place. 'But five of Roald Dahl's books appeared in the top 10 and when counted together with all those who could not name a favourite title but who said any of Dahl's books were a hit with their classes, a staggering 17 per cent of primary teachers named him as their favourite children's author.

Success: Julia Donaldson, currently Children's Laureate, had her bestselling book The Gruffalo named as the best children's book by teachers 'Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse and teachers' fourth favourite behind Dahl, JK Rowling and Julia Donaldson, was the standout choice as the person teachers would most like to visit their class. ROALD DAHL'S LEGACY LIVES ON, WHILE JULIA DONALDSON PROVES POPULAR TEACHERS' FAVOURITE CHILDREN'S AUTHORS Julia Donaldson Books - Home Julia Donaldson Julia Donaldson is the author of some of the best known and loved children’s books in the world! With family favourites such as The Gruffalo, What the Ladybird Heard, Princess Mirror-Belle and Room on the Broom to her credit you can be sure that a Julia book is never far away when it comes to bedtime. You can discover all of her books here. See how many you have got already! Julia & Axel Scheffler Julia and Axel Scheffler’s first book A Squash and A Squeeze was published in 1993 and t...

Question: Who wrote the children's book The Gruffalo?
Answer: JULIA DONALDSON