The Gruffalo's Child facts for kids
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | Julia Donaldson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Axel Scheffler |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
|
Publication date
|
3 September 2004 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4050-2045-9 |
| OCLC | 56537100 |
| Preceded by | The Gruffalo |
The Gruffalo's Child is a popular children's book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It was first published in 2004. This book is a sequel, meaning it continues the story from their earlier hit, The Gruffalo.
Story of the Gruffalo's Child
The story begins with the Gruffalo's daughter. Her father, the Gruffalo, has warned her not to go into the scary 'deep dark wood.' He tells her about a 'big bad mouse' that he is afraid of. The Gruffalo can't quite remember what this mouse looks like. He only remembers it as a frightening monster.
One snowy winter night, the Gruffalo's child decides to explore the wood anyway. She is looking for this 'big bad mouse.' During her journey, she finds tracks in the snow. She meets the Snake, the Owl, and the Fox. These animals were also in the first Gruffalo story.
The Gruffalo's child first thinks each animal might be the 'big bad mouse.' But each animal tells her where to find the real one. After a while, she starts to think the animals are tricking her. She also wonders if her father tricked her. She sadly decides that the 'big bad mouse' isn't real.
At this moment, she meets the small mouse from The Gruffalo. This is the same clever mouse who tricked her father before. The Gruffalo's child threatens to eat him. But the mouse is very smart. He invites her to meet the 'big bad mouse.'
The mouse uses the moonlight to make a huge, scary shadow. The shadow looks like a giant monster. The Gruffalo's child believes this shadow is the real 'big bad mouse.' She gets very scared and runs away. She quickly goes back to her father's cave. Her faith in her father's stories is now strong again.
Stage and Film Adaptations
The book The Gruffalo's Child has been brought to life in different ways.
Stage Play
In 2005, the Tall Stories Theatre Company turned the book into a stage play. This play has traveled a lot. It has been performed in many places across the United Kingdom. It has also been shown to audiences all over the world.
Animated Film
The book was also made into an animated film. This film was released in 2011. It brought the characters and story to the screen.
