The Gruffalo books: a complete guide

What’s a Gruffalo? Why, didn’t you know? He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose . . . 

Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo story has won the hearts of millions of children (and parents alike) since the book was first published on 23rd March 1999. But don’t let its age fool you – The Gruffalo book is a timeless classic, with its clever and beguiling storyline of wit and bravery, imaginative characters (hello . . . have you ever seen a Gruffalo?), unique rhymes and a rhythm which makes it joyfully fun to read aloud, The Gruffalo is just as captivating as ever, and absolutely deserves a place on every child’s bookshelf. Here’s a guide to the many Gruffalo stories and activity books. 

Did you know that Julia Donaldson is also the author of the Tales from Acorn Wood, and the What the Ladybird Heard series

The original Gruffalo books

The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo

Paperback: 3-5 years

Embark on the original award-winning adventure with a quick-witted mouse who shows cunning and bravery like no other beast in the forest, as he takes a stroll all alone through the deep dark wood. There may not be such a thing as a Gruffalo, yet Mouse uses wit and imagination to outsmart the bigger animals by inventing the fearsome creature to scare them away. But imagine Mouse's surprise when it encounters a real Gruffalo! Can Mouse outwit the Gruffalo himself to avoid being eaten again? Also available in the beautiful hardback edition.

The Gruffalo's Child

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo's Child

Paperback: 3-5 years

In this very clever sequel we discover that a Gruffalo isn’t the most fearsome creature in the deep dark wood – but will the Gruffalo’s bored child be brave enough to seek out the Big Bad Mouse for himself? Into the wood he goes to meet the other animals that are all too happy to point him in the direction of the infamous Mouse. But what will the mini-Gruffalo make of Mouse when he finally finds it? And can Mouse outwit another Gruffalo? Also available in hardback edition.

The Gruffalo: Queen Mary's Dolls' House Edition

by Julia Donaldson

For fans of all ages

This special collector’s version of The Gruffalo is adapted from the miniature Queen Mary's Dolls' House edition at Windsor Castle, commissioned by the Royal Collection as part of the Modern-Day Miniature Library project. Handwritten by author Julia Donaldson and illustrated with sixty never-before-seen illustrations from Axel Scheffler, the Royal edition has been reworked into this delightful gift book, pocket-sized with gold foil cover decoration.

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More Gruffalo books for babies & toddlers

The Gruffalo: A Pop-Up Flap Book

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 2 - 4 years

Oh help! Oh no! It’s a pop-up Gruffalo! Make storytime even more magical with this interactive lift-the-flap pop-up board book. With a simple, rhyming text adapted from the original story, sturdy board book pages and flaps for little hands to lift, meet the creatures who live in the deep dark wood.

Gruffalo, Where Are You?

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Gruffalo, Where Are You?

Board book: 0- 3 years

We return once again to the deep dark wood, this time with soft felt flaps on each page. This version encourages little fingers to explore and find each character, developing fine motor skills and grabbing your little one’s attention with simple patterns and bright colours, perfect as a first book for babies.

The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo

Board book: 2 - 5 years

Featuring the classic story with a redesigned cover and beautiful finish, this board book format is designed for small hands which may have difficulty turning paper pages. The hard board pages are easy to handle and won’t get ruined easily if handled or explored with little mouths!

The Gruffalo's Child

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 2 - 5 years

A sturdy option for little readers who might struggle to look after paper pages, this hardback version of The Guffalo’s Child has large hard board, easy-to-turn pages, which will stand the test of time and allow children to read another favourite story again and again with, and without supervision. 

My First Gruffalo: Gruffalo Growl

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for My First Gruffalo: Gruffalo Growl

Board book: 1 - 5 years

Ever wondered what a Gruffalo growl sounds like? Of course you have! With a fun, interactive and easy to press sound button, this wonderful version offers a new experience for Gruffalo fans – rediscover your favourite characters, journey through the deep dark wood, and try to figure out where the terrible ‘growl’ is coming from!

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My First Gruffalo: The Gruffalo Puppet Book

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 1 - 5 years

Bring The Gruffalo to life as you move through each page with your Guffalo puppet. Perfect for taking out and about, this compact puppet book allows you to interact with your little one as you make the Gruffalo move and talk, making this read-aloud classic even more enchanting.

The Gruffalo Touch and Feel Book

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo Touch and Feel Book

Board book: 1 - 5 years

Would you like to know what the Gruffalo’s terrible tusks feel like, or touch his warty nose? In this wonderfully interactive version, you and your little one can explore the world of the Gruffalo like never before with a fun touch-and-feel element, sparking your child’s imagination as they feel their way around, providing wonderful sensory talking points along the way. 

The Gruffalo: A Push, Pull and Slide Book

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 1 - 4 years

What child doesn’t love a push, pull and slide book? Helping to develop fine motor skills and cognitive development through sensory exploration, enjoy the original story with push, pull and slide mechanisms to allow your child to experience Mouse’s journey through the wood, and the wonder and awe of discovering a Gruffalo hiding behind a tree!

The Gruffalo's Child: A Push, Pull and Slide Book

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 1 - 4 years

Another magical push, pull and slide book, this time based on the sequel to The GruffaloThe Gruffalo’s Child. Spark your child’s imagination with the interactive pages which encourage them to think creatively about the story and its outcomes, while the hands-on nature of push-and-pull books can help your child improve their attention span.

Have You Seen the Gruffalo?

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Have You Seen the Gruffalo?

Board book: 2 -5 years

Explore the deep dark wood with Mouse and see if you can spot the Gruffalo in this interactive novelty book. Have You Seen the Gruffalo? is a fun peep-inside book featuring all your favourite characters from the deep dark wood. This chunky board book is the perfect introduction for preschoolers to the world of The Gruffalo, and a great gift for fans of the original picture book too.

Happy Birthday, Gruffalo!

by Julia Donaldson

Board book: 1 - 6 years

How will the Gruffalo celebrate his birthday? Lift the flaps to find out as you meet all your favourite characters from the deep dark wood in this brilliant board book – and look out for the surprise pop-up ending! 


More Gruffalo books for children aged 3-7

The Gruffalo 25th Anniversary Edition

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo 25th Anniversary Edition

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

This 25th birthday edition of has a shiny gold foil cover and includes fun bonus material – a must-have addition to the bookshelves of all Gruffalo fans. The Gruffalo 25th Anniversary Edition features the classic story with a stunning foil cover as well as a letter from the author, early sketches from the illustrator, fun Gruffalo things to make and do and the lyrics to The Gruffalo Song to celebrate the anniversary year.

The Gruffalo's Child 20th Anniversary Edition

by Julia Donaldson

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

Step back into the deep, dark woods for a special celebration with The Gruffalo’s Child 20th Anniversary Edition! This beloved story of curiosity and bravery comes with a sparkly new cover and fantastic bonus content. Follow the Gruffalo’s Child as she ventures out in search of the Big Bad Mouse, with captivating rhymes that have delighted families for two decades. Plus, with fun extras like character headbands and a sing-along song, this edition brings extra magic to storytime.

The Gruffalo Carousel Book

by Julia Donaldson

Novelty book: 3 - 6 years

This time you can really join Mouse on his adventure, exploring three pop-up play scenes which jump out of the page and into your child’s imagination. Use the nine press-out play pieces to interact with each scene – it even has a handy envelope for storage!

The Gruffalo: A Noisy Storybook

by Julia Donaldson

Novelty book: 3 - 7 years

Bring The Gruffalo story to life with 8 interactive sounds. As you walk through the deep dark wood, discover what Mouse, Squirrel, Owl, Snake, Fox, Frog, and most excitingly, a Gruffalo sound like! With picture prompts for little readers to press each sound button at different points along the story, your little one will delight in matching the images and words to each sound, creating a multisensory adventure to encourage literary development. 

The Gruffalo Big Book

by Julia Donaldson

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

What’s better than the Gruffalo? Why, a giant Gruffalo of course! This extra-large edition includes activity ideas, plus the words and music for The Gruffalo Song. Perfect for classrooms, bedtime reading for siblings or if you want to squeeze a little more from the beloved story with the activity ideas and song, this 38cm by 50cm edition deserves pride of place on the bookshelf – if you have one big enough that is!

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Gruffalo activity & sticker books 

The Gruffalo: A First Sticker Book

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo: A First Sticker Book

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

The Gruffalo Sticker Book is packed full of sticker scenes, matching activities, simple puzzles, colouring, sticker games and more – plus all your favourite characters from the deep dark wood. The fun activities have been carefully designed to be just right for children aged 3 and over, with six pages of big, easy-to-use stickers – perfect for holidays, journeys and rainy days.

The Gruffalo Sticker Book

Book cover for The Gruffalo Sticker Book

Paperback: 3 - 6 years

What’s guaranteed to keep any Gruffalo fan amused for a long car ride or a quiet day at home? Stickers! With over 400 stickers, games and activities, including a sticker jigsaw puzzle, spot the difference, pages to colour in and much more, little ones will enjoy getting to know all the characters and interacting with them in a unique way in this much loved and hugely popular sticker book.

The Gruffalo and Friends Outdoor Activity Book

by Julia Donaldson

Hardback: 2 - 8 years

Take the Gruffalo stories outside and into your own garden or nearest deep, dark wood, for some Gruffalo-inspired fun in nature. The activities, based on Julia Donaldson’s Gruffalo stories and created by nature play specialists Little Wild Things, are designed to encourage you and your little ones to step into nature and explore the outside world together. Brilliant for ideas to keep the kids entertained, you’ll find easy yet fun activities like building a parrot kite, ‘Nutty Hide and Seek’ and cork boat making.

The Gruffalo Autumn and Winter Nature Trail

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo Autumn and Winter Nature Trail

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

Specifically focused on Autumn and Winter, this is the only companion you’ll need for keeping little Gruffalo fans entertained through the colder months. Full of fun outdoor ideas, this edition has activities, games, an over 400 stickers. Learn about how nature transitions seasons, check off signs of autumn and winter in your book as you explore, and then create an autumn sticker tree when you get home. There’s so much to do, watch and learn about in this educational edition, plus it's linked into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of the curriculum. 

The Gruffalo Spring and Summer Nature Trail

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo Spring and Summer Nature Trail

Paperback: 3 - 7 years

Get your mini-explorers outside to celebrate the arrival of spring and summer with this beautiful seasonal activity edition of The Gruffalo. With hundreds of stickers, outdoor game ideas, and nature-inspired activities that link into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of the curriculum, you’ll be bug spotting, spring watching and making the most of the sunshine with this lovely Gruffalo-inspired companion by your sides.

Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes

Hardback: 3 - 9 years

From Deep Dark Wood Dips and Terrible Tusk Tortillas, to Purple Prickle Pancakes - and of course, Gruffalo Cake! This wonderful Gruffalo story-inspired cookbook has 24 recipes from the deep dark wood, guaranteed to get your little ones helping to cook up a storm in the kitchen and excited to sit down at the dinner table. Spark their imaginations with Roasted Fox sweet potato wedges and Poisinous Warts pea and feta frittatas. Yummy!

How to Draw The Gruffalo and Friends

by Axel Scheffler

Paperback: 4 - 7 years

For the little artists out there, learn to draw the Gruffalo and nine more wonderful characters from the brilliant duo who brought you The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Including step-by-step guides and top tips from illustrator Axel Scheffler, this artistic edition could just inspire the next generation’s best-selling book illustrations! 

The Gruffalo and Friends Festive Super Sticker Book

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Gruffalo and Friends Festive Super Sticker Book

Get ready for Christmas with the Gruffalo and friends in this fun sticker book, bursting with festive activities to complete and over 1000 stickers! This super sticker book is packed with colouring activities, mazes, scenes to search and more, and features all your favourite characters. With sixty-four pages of activities to complete there's enough to keep little paws busy for the whole holiday season.