The Gruffalo (Gruffalo, #1)

Julia Donaldson ’ south stories never fail to delight, and this visualize book of The Gruffalo is one of the identical best. First published in 1999, the chilling gruffalo has become one of the universe ’ second favored monsters, starring in films and shows abounding, and inspiring a huge total of merchandise. This is the original mental picture record which started it all, and which has itself won many awards, been translated into over fifty languages, and has been voted the UK ’ s favorite bedtime narrative.

It begins with a elementary

The Gruffalo is one of the very best. First published in 1999, the scary gruffalo has become one of the world’s best-loved monsters, starring in films and shows galore, and inspiring a huge amount of merchandise. This is the original picture book which started it all, and which has itself won many awards, been translated into over fifty languages, and has been voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story.

It begins with a simple idea, of a little brown mouse taking a walk in a “deep dark wood”. We see a lovely illustration of the deep dark wood before the story begins … and the small child I read it to thought he might just be able to spy something sinister behind the trees, although he didn’t know the story at all … So we begin:

“A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.
‘Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in my underground house.’”

Oh my, what a crafty expression there is on the face of the fox! But our perky, brave little mouse is very quick-thinking:

“It’s terribly kind of you, Fox, but no –
I’m going to have lunch with a gruffalo!”

And as he describes the tusks, teeth and jaws of the terrible monster to the fox, he finishes with:

“and his favourite food is roasted fox”

whereupon the fox’s eyes get very wide indeed, and he scoots off in a panic. The mouse however, calmly carries on on his way. In time he meets several other dangerous animals; a fox, an owl, and a snake. Each one whom he meets, clearly intends to eat the mouse, and invites him back to their home, ostensibly for a meal. But every time, the mouse claims he is expected by the fierce gruffalo to his house for a meal instead.

We might also have felt as apprehensive and scared as the animals who want to eat the mouse. We learn for instance, that the gruffalo’s favourite foods are “owl ice cream”, and “scrambled snake”. But in fact we don’t feel frightened, and we don’t even believe him! My little friend was giggling as much as I was, because:

“Silly old fox, doesn’t he know?
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!”

“Silly old owl, doesn’t he know?
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!”

And:

“Silly old snake, doesn’t he know?
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!”

We both had huge grins on our faces, until I turned the next page. Oh! There he was! As large as life and twice as ugly:

“Oh help! Oh no!
It’s a gruffalo!”

And we clearly see a real, live, gruffalo! He seems to be half a grizzly bear and half a buffalo. And when he spots the mouse:

“‘My favourite food’ the gruffalo said,
‘You’ll taste good on a slice of bread!’”

But once again the mouse uses his quick wits and cunning. He boasts to the gruffalo that he, the mouse, is the scariest animal in the forest, and what’s more, he can prove it! The gruffalo is very doubtful of this, but humours the mouse, and accompanies him through the forest. Then the two of them once again encounter all the animals the mouse had met before. Not surprisingly, each creature is terrified by the sight of the mouse’s great “friend”, the gruffalo, whom he had described so perfectly earlier. Each one runs off in a panic, and gradually the gruffalo becomes more and more impressed with the mouse’s apparent toughness. When the mouse then claims that his favourite food is “gruffalo crumble”, it is the gruffalo who turns tail (quite literally, in his case) and flees, with a very very scared expression on his face.

Then, in the final double spread:

“All was quiet in the deep dark wood.
The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.”

The Gruffalo is a perfectly structured story, inviting the reader equally to laugh and have mock terror. Even the tiniest of tots love to be “frightened” in this way. Julia Donaldson seems to understand children completely, from the inside. She says that this story was inspired by 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 Donaldson knew that this would make a great picture book for children between about three and seven years of age, but she wanted to do it in rhyme. She couldn’t think of anything to rhyme with “tiger”, so she created her own monster ending in “O”, to rhyme with “doesn’t he know?” She uses rhyming couplets, and includes much repetitive verse with just minor amusing tweaks, which delight the listener. We know what is coming, but each time there is a little thrill of surprise to make us laugh.

The book is about 700 words long, and much of its charm also lies in the illustrations by Axel Scheffler. Once you’ve read it, it is impossible to imagine the gruffalo as anything else, but in fact he might have looked very different. “Our” monster is scary in a cute, dim-witted sort of way, but apparently Axel Scheffler’s first designs were of a monster who was far more frightening than the one we know. He also wondered about making the animals wear clothes, but in the end decided against it.

My little Turkish neighbour, aged just four, and I both giggled (and one of us squealed a bit) at this delightful picture book. We haven’t yet ventured through our local “deep dark woods” though. Perhaps we should do that before we read the follow-up story, written five years later and called, The Gruffalo’s Child. After all, how terrifying might that one be? Julia Donaldson ’ second stories never fail to delight, and this movie record ofis one of the identical best. First published in 1999, the chilling gruffalo has become one of the global ’ mho favored monsters, starring in films and shows galore, and inspiring a huge amount of merchandise. This is the original picture book which started it all, and which has itself won many awards, been translated into over fifty languages, and has been voted the UK ’ s favored bedtime story.It begins with a simple idea, of a short brown mouse taking a walk of life in a. We see a cover girl example of the deep black wood before the story begins … and the belittled child I read it to thought he might just be able to spy something black behind the trees, although he didn ’ triiodothyronine know the history at all … So we begin : Oh my, what a crafty expression there is on the font of the fox ! But our buoyant, brave little shiner is very quick-thinking : And as he describes the tusks, teeth and call on the carpet of the atrocious monster to the fox, he finishes with : whereupon the fox ’ s eyes get identical broad indeed, and he scoots off in a panic. The sneak however, sedately carries on on his way. In time he meets respective early dangerous animals ; a dodger, an owl, and a snake. Each one whom he meets, distinctly intends to eat the mouse, and invites him back to their home, apparently for a meal. But every clock, the mouse claims he is expected by the boisterous gruffalo to his house for a meal instead.We might besides have felt as apprehensive and scared as the animals who want to eat the mouse. We learn for exemplify, that the gruffalo ’ s favorite foods are, and. But in fact we don ’ thyroxine feel frightened, and we don ’ t evening believe him ! My fiddling friend was giggling ampere much as I was, because : And : We both had huge grins on our faces, until I turned the future page. Oh ! There he was ! deoxyadenosine monophosphate big as life and doubly as atrocious : And we clearly see a real, live, gruffalo ! He seems to be half a grizzly wear and half a buffalo. And when he spots the mouse : But once again the mouse uses his quick wits and cunning. He boasts to the gruffalo that he, the mouse, is the scariest animal in the afforest, and what ’ s more, he can prove it ! The gruffalo is very doubtful of this, but humours the mouse, and accompanies him through the forest. then the two of them once again encounter all the animals the mouse had met ahead. not amazingly, each creature is terrified by the sight of the mouse ’ s great “ friend ”, the gruffalo, whom he had described indeed absolutely earlier. Each one runs off in a panic, and gradually the gruffalo becomes more and more affect with the mouse ’ south apparent stamina. When the mouse then claims that his favorite food is, it is the gruffalo who turns tail ( quite literally, in his sheath ) and flees, with a very identical frightened formula on his face.Then, in the final doubling spread : is a perfectly structured fib, inviting the reviewer equally to laugh and have mock terror. even the bantam of tots love to be “ frightened ” in this way. Julia Donaldson seems to understand children wholly, from the inside. She says that this report was inspired by a chinese narrative about a apt girl who tricks a athirst tiger into believing she is the Queen of the Jungle and scares him away. Julia Donaldson knew that this would make a great mental picture book for children between about three and seven years of age, but she wanted to do it in rhyme. She couldn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate think of anything to rhyme with “ tiger ”, so she created her own monster ending in “ O ”, to rhyme withShe uses rhyming couplets, and includes much repetitive verse with just child amusing tweaks, which delight the hearer. We know what is coming, but each time there is a little frisson of surprise to make us laugh.The book is about 700 words hanker, and a lot of its appeal besides lies in the illustrations by Axel Scheffler. once you ’ ve read it, it is impossible to imagine the gruffalo as anything else, but in fact he might have looked very different. “ Our ” monster is chilling in a cunning, dim-witted sort of way, but apparently Axel Scheffler ’ s first designs were of a monster who was far more frighten than the one we know. He besides wondered about making the animals wear clothes, but in the end decided against it.My little turkish neighbor, aged barely four, and I both giggled ( and one of us squealed a spot ) at this delightful picture book. We haven ’ t so far ventured through our localthough. possibly we should do that before we read the follow-up floor, written five years late and called ,. After all, how terrify might that one be ?