The Gruffalo

book by Donaldson

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Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

The Gruffalo is a children's book by Julia Donaldson about a clever mouse who invents a fictional monster, the Gruffalo, to scare away predators. The mouse describes the Gruffalo to a fox, a owl, and a snake, making them flee. However, the mouse is surprised to encounter the actual Gruffalo, a large, fearsome creature. The resourceful mouse then tricks the Gruffalo into believing that he is the most terrifying creature in the forest, causing the Gruffalo to run away in fear. The book is known for its rhyming text and has been translated into many languages.12

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Julia Donaldson
Books
…best-known titles with Scheffler are The Gruffalo (1999), in which a quick-thinking mouse invents a monster to outwit predators, only to meet the creature itself, and its sequel The Gruffalo’s Child (2004). Other books they have partnered on include Room on the Broom (2001), where a kind witch and her…
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…best-known titles with Scheffler are The Gruffalo (1999), in which a quick-thinking mouse invents a monster to outwit predators, only to meet the creature itself, and its sequel The Gruffalo’s Child (2004). Other books they have partnered on include Room on the Broom (2001), where a kind witch and her…
Read More