AIBU to ask why The Gruffalo is so very popular?

[octaviarose]

I don't really understand why the Gruffalo is so very popular as a children's book, please someone explain the enormous appeal.

[EssieW]

DS not bothered by Gruffalo. DD loves it! It's a useful one for inspiring walks in the woods. Gruffalos leave chocolate coins lying around...

Our favourite JD book is Zog which both DS and I can recite from memory. Followed by Stick Man, What the Ladybird Heard and Snail and the Whale.

The partnership of Donaldson and Axel Scheffer is brilliant - the pictures in all of them work brilliantly.

[choceyes]

I quite like the Gruffalo, but my DCs are not that keen on it. Although I can't find my our copy of the Gruffalo so haven't read it to them in a while.

Our favs are Stickman - love the rhyming in it. Fetch it and drop it and fetch it again, drop it and fetch it and drop it again..!! Genius!!!

Tabby McTat..a cat-to-cat chat...love it!

My personal favourite is Zog, for the feminist angle

YY to Room on the Broom too. And Cavebaby is great, DS loves that one.

I absolutely adore Monkey Puzzle, but the DCs get a bit bored halfway into the book because it is a lot of reading and becomes quite repetitive, so I tend to skip a few pages. But I love it for the storyline though.
Love the What the Ladybird heard too. I don't think the DCs get the story tbh, it is quite complicated for an under 5 I think. My DS who is 4 can just about understand the plot.

I hate the Hungry Catterpillar too and the DCs don't like it either. We do like the Tiger that Came to Tea however, DS is really engaged by the storyline. I took him to see the stage show a few months ago and it was pretty good, even I enjoyed it.

[choceyes]

CaptainBarnaclesDaddyman - I see what your DM thinks of the tiger that came to tea, yes it is a bit sexist I agree. However the stage show is better actually. The mum is a stronger character and the daddy is portrayed as a bit forgetful and clumsy, not as sexist as the book!

[drjohnsonscat]

I don't really love any Julia Donaldson books. My kids aren't fussed either. I don't know why we don't love them when others do but they leave me cold. I don't love Axel Scheffler's illustrations either. So agree with you OP.

They would always rather have a Dr Seuss or a Nick Sharratt or anything else really.

[drjohnsonscat]

Actually I was just thinking about what their favourite book is and it's also a rhyming book with a clever story and nice pictures - The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lloyd. We all love that one.

[Furoshika]

I like Julia Donaldson very much as a person (at least how she comes across in interviews) but I think there are far more lyrical children's poets out there. Sometimes the rhymes and rhythms are so forced, it's painful to read.

My kids liked the books enough but not especially.

[mountains]

Yes I also think that The Tiger is sexist, but it's such an arresting story, I don't let it bother me.

[OwlLady]

I love the gruffalo, it's one of those books you can so all different voices and expressions to :)

[impty]

I love the Gruffalo and I loved doing the voices! It's such a shame the my DCs won't let me read it to them now, but understandable as they are 15 and 12!

[SminkoPinko]

the tiger is brilliant partly because it lends itself to excellent literary criticism. There have been some brilliant critiques by mumsnetters over the years! My daughter's current favourite book is called Gnarbunga. It's about a sticky sludgey monster thing who learns to skateboard.

[mountains]

Or it lends itself to excellent literary criticism because it is brilliant! (trying to think of a children's book I love more...)

[milkymocha]

Peppermint I never thought of it like that!!

I do not agree with the previous poster who said how well written it is! We love Monkey Puzzle too for the poster who mentioned that. It encouraged my son to say 'so thats why 'cousins name' doesnt look like me!' (Cousin is bi-racial)
Which i thought was great!

[milkymocha]

I have a soft spot for 'You're all my favourires' by Sam McBratney. It really helped my 2 year old to understand that we still loved him even with the new addition to our family!

[Silibilimili]

Because the books are very clever. The stories have a clever twist.

[edam]

Barnacle, that's a very good point about Axel's illustrations reminding you of Richard Scarry - I'd never thought of that before but you are right. I LOVED Scarry when I was little, must see if I can get hold of some of his stuff for ds before he's too old.

I do enjoy a good debate about what The Tiger Who Came To Tea is really about, but remember seeing or hearing about that very question being put to the author once. Who paused, looked at the questioner as if they were a bit dim, and said: 'It's about a Tiger. Who came to tea.'

[Ghostsgowoooh]

I love the gruffalo! It was a big favourite here but sadly my five year old has got bored of Julia Donaldson and now I'm finding it difficult to find any book she does like. My ten year old dd1 does an awesome rap of the gruffalo done dorfor her sisters entertainment last year.

Hope my two year old dd3 likes the gruffalo.

[Flojo1979]

Ordered snail and the whale, last night, after all your lovely recommendations!