The much-loved children’s book, the Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated Axel Scheffler, is returning to bookshelves with a new story, over 25 years after the first book was published in 1999.
The latest book from Donaldson and Scheffler will be published in September 2026, and will be the third tale – about the knobbly-kneed, purple-spined, horned creature that roams the deep-dark woods – after 1999’s best-selling original and 2004’s sequel The Gruffalo’s Child.
Julia Donaldson reports that she was inspired to write another Gruffalo book by the campaign to reverse a decline in children’s reading. She explained that the idea had long lived in her head but she decided to finally put pen to paper after the National Literacy Trust (NLT) started using the previous two books in its Early Words Matter Scheme.
According to the NLT, just 35% of children aged between eight and 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2024, and this marks the lowest level of reading observed by NLT since the charity started gathering data in 2005.
The first two books have sold 18 million copies, according to publisher, Macmillan Children’s Books. Julia Donaldson was “delighted” that Axel Scheffler, who has bought countless titles by Donaldson to life over the years, was back on board for this latest publication.
It’s always a challenge to write a sequel,” Donaldson said in a statement. “Five years elapsed between publication of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, and now it will be more than 20 between The Gruffalo’s Child and the third book.
“I actually had the basic idea for the story a long time ago, but couldn’t think how to develop it.
“It was only when the NLT, whose work I’m very impressed by, used the first two books as part of their Early Words Matter programme that I was spurred on to get my idea out of the cupboard and see once and for all if I could turn it into a really satisfying story. To my surprise, I managed to do just that!”
“I really hope that children – and adults too – will enjoy the new story, as I know what a wonderful experience shared reading can be.”
