A fun book to share and goes beyond just reading a story.
Feature image credit: Pan Macmillan Australia
Authors Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have been creating picture books for three decades. The Gruffalo is a modern classic with over 13.5 million copies sold worldwide. Originally inspired by a Chinese tale, this award-winning rhyming story was so named by having to make the story in rhyming couplets work. Author Donaldson had to find a creature name that rhymed with “doesn’t he know”, could not find one, and so made it up. Now, the term Gruffalo is synonymous with creature.
If you are new to the series, it is about a mouse and a monster. My First Gruffalo: Gruffalo Growl was first published in 2016 with a different hardcover design. Although the 2023 edition is similar, it bears no margin and has a lime green rather than yellow background.
The board book feels incredibly durable and is likely to withstand all manner of unintended use. For the purposes of this review, I did not try page chewing, spilling food or drink on it, slobbering or overbending pages in the way a young toddler might, yet as a parent I would feel confident that if my children were still at that age, it is fairly indestructible.
For a wonderful way to bond with your child or grandchild that goes beyond reading and makes it fun, having the growl button and questioning pattern of the book gives the audience lots of scope for enjoyment. A fantastic gift with delightfully illustrated animals.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: January 2023
RRP: $14.99
