Something's stirring in the deep, dark wood… a new Gruffalo book
The first two books were a publishing phenomenon and more than five million copies have been sold since the monster emerged in 1999. The books have been translated into 107 languages or dialects.
Donaldson is regularly anointed the UK's bestselling author in end-of-year lists. Her lifetime sales of 48.6 million copies last year, according to Nielsen BookScan, have resulted her eclipsing JK Rowling as the bestselling author since records began.
However, Rowling's £390.5 million earnings through
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Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
The 18 best books for your kids this summer holiday
Picture Books SLEEP TIGHT, DISGUSTING BLOB by Huw Aaron (Puffin £7.99, 32pp) A monstrously original twist on a bedtime story in which Disgusting Blob is lulled to sleep with tales of how the other evil creatures are settling down: the Goblins and Glitches, the Werewolves and Witches – even Dracula has cleaned his fangs . . . Full of reassurance, humour and brilliant illustrations. WILD by Katya Balen, Illustrated by Gill Smith (Walker Books £12.99, 32pp) A little girl thrives in the wildness of the woods until her family move to the city. There she sees nothing but grey and worries she has 'lost my wild'. But even urban landscapes keep secrets and by following a bird she discovers that there is nature in everything – if you know where to look. An absolute joy. LETTERS TO A MONSTER by Patricia Forde, Illustrated by Sarah Warburton (Bloomsbury £12.99, 32pp) Sophie writes to the monster under her bed, demanding he leave or she'll call the Monster Police. But he replies to say he has already left, because of the gorilla hiding there . . . A friendship grows and Sophie realises she'd like the monster to come back. Perfect bedtime reading. GOZZLE by Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Macmillan £12.99, 48pp) It's spring and a gosling hatches and believes Bear, emerging from winter sleep, is his Daddy. Nothing Bear does can shake off devoted Gozzle until summer arrives, bringing a family with whom he migrates for winter. Bear is bereft – until a lovely twist brings a happy ending. Superb. FRANK THE PIZZA by Eoin McLaughlin, Illustrated by Mike Byrne (HarperCollins £7.99, 32pp) His parents know that a little slice of pizza like Frank is too tempting, so when he's invited to a birthday party they protect him by topping him with anchovies and olives. He's shunned, until he meets Frances the cupcake, with similarly unappetising icing... Full of gourmet giggles and silliness. I COULD BE EATEN BY A SHARK by Marcela Ferreira, Illustrated by Mark Chambers (OUP £7.99, 32pp) Soothing young children's anxieties gets a clever spin in this story of Louie, terrified that he could be eaten by a shark wherever he goes – even in the park. Wise Grandpa recounts the story of the bear he feared, until he realised it was stopping him having fun. Gradually Louie gets his life back, with a delightful surprise ending. Young Fiction A MERMAID'S DIARY by Chris Riddell (Macmillan £12.99, 240pp) Sleepy Cove, home of little mermaid Atalanta, is under threat from unscrupulous developers. Outraged Atalanta gathers her 300 siblings and friends to protect the beach. Packed with puns and cultural jokes, Riddell's illustrations are stunning. Age 7+ HOW TO BE A SPY by Cecily Sawyer, Illustrated by David Tazzyman (HarperCollins £7.99, 240pp) Despite being only ten, Cecily is training to be a spy – assisted by her mouse, Mrs Maple Syrup. But when her parents go missing, Cecily's ability to code-crack and use gadgets prove vital in tracking down the gang who have taken her family. A must for every would-be 007. 8+ THE BOY WITH THE BIG DECISIONS by Helen Rutter (Scholastic £7.99, 360pp) This book gives readers the choice of where the story goes. Fred's parents make all his decisions – including his school. But Fred prefers the artistic Browtree academy, so when the bus arrives on his first day he (and you) must decide – should he pretend to be a pupil there? 8+ SCHOOL FOR FIREFLIES by Erica Gomez (Knights Of £7.99, 268pp) When friends Siddy and Zadie are enrolled in a secret, magic school, they discover both their fathers had gone there. But Siddy's dad is missing – accused of killing three former students – so when the girls find a lost diary they must use their powers to expose the enemy. 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When the baby ape is born at the docks, Toff and vet's daughter Nettie fight to rescue him from Toff's boss, an evil trader in exotic pets. 9+ YA THE OTHER GIRL by Emily Barr (Penguin £8.99, 368pp) Rich, troubled teen Tabbi is heading for a Swiss rehab clinic when she meets broke backpacker Ruby on a train and persuades her to swap identities. But who is conning whom? This thriller keeps you guessing until the end. 13+ BEST OF ALL WORLDS by Kenneth Oppel (Guppy Books £14.99, 256pp) Teenage Xavier, his father and stepmother wake up to find their house transported to an isolated setting. Yet all that's needed to survive is provided. Are they trapped or protected? Then another family arrives – but the dad is determined to escape. Who knows the truth? Gripping. 13+ LIVE by Luke Palmer (Firefly £9.99, 356pp) George is the driving force of his sixth-form band, but when tragedy strikes, everyone has to find their own way through grief. 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Glasgow Times
28-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
'Much-loved' Gruffalo trail near Glasgow has reopened
Children in East Dunbartonshire can once again enjoy the magic of the Gruffalo story with the return of the much-loved trail at Kilmardinny Nature Reserve. A collection of seven carved wooden characters from the iconic children's book by Julia Donaldson have once more taken up residence in the park at Kilmardinny Loch near Bearsden. The characters will also appear on a new carved wooden seat. The Gruffalo Trail was first introduced in 2012 and became a popular attraction for children and the young-at-heart. The carvings were removed from the park in 2023 due to weather damage. 'Much-loved' Gruffalo trail near Glasgow has reopened (Image: SALLY G) The reinstatement of the trail has been commissioned and installed by the Council's Streetscene Technical Support team. Councillor Paul Ferretti, convener of the Place, Neighbourhood and Corporate Assets committee, welcomed their return and was joined by children from Bearsden Early Years Centre to officially open the Gruffalo Trail. The kids were happy to see the trail reopened (Image: SALLY G) Councillor Ferretti said, 'I am delighted to see The Gruffalo Trail return to Kilmardinny Loch. It was previously a much-loved feature which attracted visitors from East Dunbartonshire and beyond, and I'm sure that will be the case again. 'The Trail brings another element of enjoyment to this picturesque area by providing a wonderful, free activity for families.' The carvings include a large Gruffalo, Gruffalo's Child, Little Brown Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and Frog.
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- The Guardian
‘We think Princess Pearl is a feminist icon': readers' favourite Julia Donaldson books
Last week, Stuart Heritage ranked his 15 favourite books by Julia Donaldson, and readers have responded with their own opinions, along with memories of reading her beloved stories to their children. Here are some of the most popular picks from the Gruffalo author's gigantic oeuvre. Monkey Puzzle is my three-year-old daughter's favourite book. She's bilingual, and – for this book specifically – she always wants me to read it in Arabic. So it's 'La, la, la!' instead of 'No, no, no!', otherwise she doesn't like it (and she lets me know about it). Her Arabic is much better because of this book, at least when it comes to animal-related vocabulary. We went to a zoo the other day, and she referred to the elephant's trunk in perfect (Sudanese) Arabic – a proud parenting moment for me. Affa, Glasgow My son is multisensory-impaired, he has nystagmus and unilateral hearing loss, and has always loved stories as somewhere that he can completely immerse himself. Julia Donaldson's have always appealed and, though it's difficult to know how much of the detail in the illustrations he can see, he loves to point out the characters or items of interest. Monkey Puzzle is often revisited, and if there's a part that I misread then it will be corrected. He particularly loves naming all of the animals after I have read the 'No, no, no!' part and we will often repeat these to each other in the day and laugh. I know that this is something that will always bring a smile to his face. William, East Sussex Fifteen years later I can recite The Gruffalo word for word. My son insisted on me reading it to him at bedtime every night for the best part of a year! If I ever go on Mastermind it would be my specialist subject! UncleKarlM My daughters are now 14, 17, and 20. Julia and Axel [Scheffler]'s books are as indelibly imprinted in my memory as the Ladybird books I read as a nipper in the 70s. When the animated version of The Gruffalo was broadcast for the first time I sat us all down excitedly to watch (they were still of an age where they would mostly listen to anything I had to say) – within seconds I was in bits. All those years of reading it to them, but it was like someone was reading it to me. Very embarrassing. stripsidebob My children used to give me belly laughs all the time. One of my favourites was when my son was four and I was reading The Gruffalo to him and his older cousin who was visiting. I got to the bit just before the real Gruffalo appears and he stopped me and said earnestly to his cousin: 'There's a Gruffalo along in a minute.' Like most things that cause a complete collapse this probably doesn't sound funny to other people but I was laughing so much I couldn't speak for five minutes. WithoutPurpose I think The Paper Dolls is an amazing book; definitely my No 1. It touches on so many themes: imagination, loss, memories, cruelty, play and the way traditions are passed down through generations. Such a talented combination of author and illustrator to cover all of that in a relatively low number of words and a few pages. Most importantly, it's still simple and entertaining enough for little ones to understand and enjoy. Both my kids are too old for it now, but I've kept a copy, and hope to be able to read it to grandkids one day. ProfyleNeim Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion Paper Dolls never fails to move me to tears, absolute heartbreaker. Like a flash-forward to the kids leaving home. Had to stop reading it coz they kept asking me if I was all right. JosephFrady My son absolutely loves this book. When he watches the animation he just laughs and laughs. We listen to the soundtrack in the car, too, and he greets people saying: 'Stand and deliver!' which is both hilarious and mortifying. Susannah Mohammed Our two-year-old, Phoebe, loves all of the Julia Donaldson books but her favourite is Zog. From a very young age she loved the illustrations of the brightly coloured dragons and all of Zog's mishaps. We think Princess Pearl is a feminist icon for challenging traditional stereotypes about what girls can do and she has inspired our daughter to want to be a doctor and look after people (and dragons) when she grows up. Amy Peck, Chelmsford
