Author: Julia Donaldson

Illustrator: Axel Scheffler

Publisher: Macmillan Children's books

Written by the best children's author, Julia Donaldson (well we think so at least!), The Gruffalo is a classic story in every child's library. A fabulous tale of a witty mouses adventure across the forest. The engaging storyline paired with the rhythmic words and vibrant illustrations teaches children the important lessons of wit, courage and friendship.

The story starts with a small mouse taking a walk through the deep, dark forest. During the mouses journey, it encounters an owl, a snake and a fox who all see the mouse as a tasty meal. To avoid its predators, the mouse invents a terrifying creature - the Gruffalo. He has terrible tusks and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. To the mouse’s horror, his clever plan backfires when he comes face-to-face with a Gruffalo. Unphased, the mouse uses his quick-wit to convince the Gruffalo that he is the scariest animal in the woods by revisiting the animals from earlier in the story. The animals flee in fear of the Gruffalo.

This story emphasises the power of bravery and intelligence and teaches children to use their wit to overcome adversity. The importance of friendship and empathy is also a common theme throughout the book. Despite the mouse’s intentions to outsmart its predators, the mouse realises the importance of team-work. The Gruffalo and the mouse form an unlikely friendship showing readers that friendship can be found in unexpected places.

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