Gruffalo's Child [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Julia Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2005

One dark night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist, does he?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–In this sequel to The Gruffalo (Dial, 1999), the wide-eyed daughter of that story's title character decides to find the "Big Bad Mouse" that her father has told her so much about. "His eyes are like pools of terrible fire,/and his terrible whiskers are tougher than wire." With her stick doll tucked under her arm, the youngster enters the deep, dark woods and follows marks in the snow to snake, owl, and fox. When she finally finds a little mouse, she grabs him for a feast, but the clever creature tricks her into running away to the comfort of her sleeping father's arms. The full-color cartoons portray a suitably sympathetic child in the snow-filled woods. While children may appreciate the details (the stick doll, snake tracks in the snow, gruffalo child's cave drawings) in the art, lack of change from picture to picture and in perspective diminish its effectiveness. The plot, rhymes, and art are all slightly weaker than the original tale. Purchase this where the first book is popular.–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Axel Scheffler has achieved worldwide acclaim for his humorous illustrations, and his books have been translated into over 29 languages. He has enjoyed particular success in his award-winning picture book collaborations with Julia Donaldson, but is also the best-selling illustrator of novelty books such as THE BEDTIME BEAR (1 405 04993 6).

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Pan Childrens (September 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405020466
• ISBN-13: 978-1405020466
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Donaldson is the author of many successful books for children, including the classic THE GRUFFALO, which has won the Smarties Prize and the Blue Peter Award for the Best Book to Read Aloud. THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD was one of the biggest best-sellers of 2004 and won WHS Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Julia has also written many children's plays and songs, and runs regular storytelling and drama workshops. She lives in Glasgow with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, December 17, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gruffalo's Child (Hardcover)

In Oliver's (age 5 from England) words... "This book is cozy."

His mother asked, "What do you mean by that, Oliver?"

Oliver replies, "Well because it's cold and snowy for the Gruffaloe's child. I like to tuck into you or Daddy whilst it's read and then I don't feel the cold from the book. It's quite a scary story too because I think the Big Bad Mouse will suddenly appear but really he's only a teeny, tiny mouse that the moon makes big.

"It's fun because all the pages rhyme. The best bit goes Aha! Oho! trails in the snow and when you hear this, you know something will get found but it's not always the Big Bad Mouse. I like the Owl best because he's got big eyes peeping out of the tree trunk."

Armchair Interviews says: Oliver, at age five loves to read. We have learned that if Oliver recommends a book, it's a must read. And The Gruffalo's Child is no exception.

From Our Armchair to Yours ...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hey, it's a sequel..., February 10, 2007

By 

Indy Family (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gruffalo's Child (Hardcover)

...and like many sequels, it pales in comparison to the original. However, "The Gruffalo" is such a fantastic book that even not-quite-as-good is still pretty great.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gruffalo's Child, January 3, 2007

By 

Harriet E. Draper - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gruffalo's Child (Hardcover)

A great follow up to one of our favourite books, The Gruffalo. Although, I think, To truly appreciate this book you need to have at least read The Gruffalo once or twice. My daughter loved it so much when we borrowed it from the library, she asked me to buy it (not something my six year old usually does!). Now we can read it whenever we want.