The Gruffalo

The nation's favourite bedtime story! Walk into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake . . . and a hungry Gruffalo. The perfect rhyming picture book for the family bookshelf. A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's The Gruffalo is an undisputed modern classic and has become a bestselling phenomenon across the world with over 18 million copies sold. This award-winning story of a mouse and a monster has found its way into the hearts and bedtimes of an entire generation of children. Perfect to read aloud, the playful verse and beloved characters will enchant little ones for years to come. No home should be without The Gruffalo! 'One of the best picture books ever written' - The Sun Look out for Gruffalo Granny, the brand new Gruffalo picture book adventure - coming on 10th September 2026! Discover more picture books from Julia and Axel: The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, and A Squash and a Squeeze.

Julia Donaldson has written some of the world's best-loved children's books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, which together have sold over 18 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over one hundred languages. Her other books include Room on the Broom, Stick Man and Zog, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Hospital Dog, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie and the hugely successful What the Ladybird Heard adventures, illustrated by Lydia Monks. Julia also writes fiction, including the Princess Mirror-Belle series, illustrated by Lydia Monks, as well as poems, plays and songs - and her brilliant live shows are always in demand. She was the UK Children's Laureate 2011-13 and has been honoured with a CBE for Services to Literature. Julia divides her time between West Sussex and Edinburgh.