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Original poster

The Gruffalo

73 replies

simbaMummy · 10/07/2009 16:52

Julia Donaldson leaves me cold Am I the only one? All the mums I know absolutely love her and I really don't, The books are such a pain to read! I really don't know what all the fuss is about...

OP posts:
TDiddy · 11/07/2009 07:12

The Gruffalo used to scare me but DCs loved it and they are on the easily scared end of the spectrum.

MrsTittleMouse · 11/07/2009 07:17

I love the Gruffalo. I remember the first time I read it was on my own (not to DD1) and I was genuinely drawn in to the story.

But we also love Room on the Broom and Monkey Puzzle. Monkey Puzzle might well be my favourite for the "I didn't know, I couldn't, you see - none of my babies looks like me" line.

The best thing about Julia Donaldson is the rhythym of the language and the lovely rhyming. Prose books for children aren't half as fun to read, and DD1 picks up the language from rhymes much more easily.

MoChan · 11/07/2009 07:36

My daughter loves Monkey Puzzle, because she seems to love monkeys, and it really makes me laugh to hear her shouting "no no no" as we turn the page.

I like Room On The Broom. These are the only two we have, I think, though I bought Charlie Cook for the little boy across the road on his birthday, because I thought it looked great.

I think it can get a bit boring for the adult, all the repetition, eventually, but repetition is supposed to be very good for toddlers, isn't it? I know my little girl responds very positively to it.

myredcardigan · 11/07/2009 12:11

No, I don't like the smartest giant one either; but the kids do.

My kids have regularly asked why other books don't rhyme. I think they really like the rhyming format.

They had The Gruffalo as part of the KS1 SATs this year. Our school did well. I'd be interested to see if scores were up overall due to it being such a popular and memorable story.

HensMum · 11/07/2009 12:18

Smartest Giant is rubbish but DS is fixated on it at the moment.
Charlie Cook is brilliant and I adore Monkey Puzzle.

bigchris · 11/07/2009 12:20

we love them all in our house

the dcs have the gruffalo on dvd too and love that

we saw it at the theatre, it's fab

Campaspe · 11/07/2009 19:24

I think any book can get a bit boring to read aloud after a few times. However, Julia Donaldson rocks IMHO, and I'm a huge fan, as is my daughter. Whenever I feel I may not appreciate the craftsmanship or skill that goes into creating something like "The Gruffalo", I quickly find that reading something about Mr Men, trucks or Thomas the Chuffing Tank Engine soon convinces me of the error of my ways! ;)

PerfectPrefect · 11/07/2009 19:26

I don't like hte Gruffalo, and I don't think that DDs "get" the plot.

I do like a Squash and a Squeeze and "Room on the Broom" though.

Haven't read Gruffalo's child.

nickytwotimes · 11/07/2009 19:28

I adore Julia too.
Saw her perform the Gruffalo a few months back in the museum. She is so fantastic.

dreamteamgirl · 12/07/2009 21:01

I have to say I love all her stuff. The Gruffalo is brill and we just got the gruffallo's child and the Smartest Giant in Town. DS (4.6) sings 'but look me up and down I'm the smartest giant in town' etc in the car. He doesnt like his grandma reading it tho because she doesnt sing it properly...

We tried the Snail and the Whale about 18 months ago, and neither of us liked it, but will try it again soon. Maybe your DCs are jsut at teh wrong age for her?

Oh and Room on the Broom, is fabulous. 'Buzz off thats MY witch' Still amuses me after a year :-)

cory · 17/07/2009 20:11

I love her books because they read so well. They're a treat to read aloud, with different voices and the rhythm is good, the scanning is effortless and you can get alot of drama out of them.

Threadworm2 · 17/07/2009 20:14

Agree cory. Some books are just a joy to read aloud because the words just fall so beautifully out of your mouth. Gruffalo is one such.

stillstanding · 17/07/2009 20:15

Have you noticed the Gruffalo fish in Tiddler? So funny. And all the nursery rhyme/fairy tale characters in The Smartest Giant in Town? Genius.

Do agree that the illustrations are what makes the books. I think The Gruffalo scans quite well but some of the others ... not so much.

Noonki · 17/07/2009 20:19

charlie cook is fab. as is snail /whale

I cant bear the repetitivness of the rest of them.

mellifluouscauliflower · 17/07/2009 20:44

Please think before you complain,
I read the size & speed of planes,
Details on instruments of war,
Precede my son's nocturnal snores.
When that happens, don't you know?
You'll be pining for that Gruffalo!

aristocat · 17/07/2009 21:02

room on the broom definitely fave here

lovechoc · 26/07/2009 16:05

My 2yo loves all the julia donaldson books, but his favourite is Charlie Cook! I don't think they are boring to read actually, I really enjoy putting on various voices for the characters, and The Gruffalo is a good one to do.

EachPeachPearMum we also do a sing song for Smartest Giant too. it's great fun!

TsarChasm · 26/07/2009 16:10

We like the Gruffalo, but oh yes Room on the Broom is one of my favourites.

Best of all though (not sure dc agree but when I'm doing the reading...) would be either Slinky Malinky or Hairy MacClary.

lovechoc · 26/07/2009 16:14

TsarChasm that made me laugh about the Slinky Malinky or Hairy McClary, because DS loves those books too. It's all very rhymey, great to read.

Lifeinagoldfishbowl · 26/07/2009 16:18

I uite like Stickman too - and thats being shown at our local theatre this winter.

TsarChasm · 26/07/2009 16:23

Lovechoc - I like them because they don't mess about and use babyish words.

I think that's great, because children learn words and use them. No need to stick to 'easy' ones; they're all the same to them which widens their vocabulary.

minimenace · 24/08/2010 09:11

sorry to revive this old thread but I found it while I was searching for a Gruffalo Duvet set for ds1 and had to comment.

we love all of the julia donaldson and axel scheffler books in our house and the gruffalo is DS1s absolute fav hence the decided theme for his room. He is 35 months and able to recite the entire gruffalo book by himself. I have obviously read it to him far too many times.

If we read another book at bedtime then I often stand outside his room afterwards and listen to him then reading the gruffalo to himself and it's so lovely to hear.
The first colours he learned to recognise were Orange ("his eyes are orange") and Purple ("he has purple prickles all over his back")

He also then started to spot the guest appearances of the gruffalo in the other books, I had never noticed them before and we since realised that most of the characters are hidden in all of the new books. It's great fun to try to spot them. See if you can spot the gruffalo in tiddler we only found him recently. stick man is easliy spotted in Gruffalo's child.

I have just bought the new book 'ZOG' for DS1's birthday next month and I am so excited about reading it I am having to resist having a sneak preview Grin

Oh, if anyone knows where the gruffalo duvet set is available to buy then please let me know !!

elportodelgato · 27/08/2010 11:07

glad you revived this minimenace, my DD is OBSESSED with Tabby McTat, it is absolutely brilliant, I love everything about it and get quite sad if she chooses a different bedtime story. Could happily read it every night and the illustrations are lovely

Botlea · 02/02/2012 20:29

Can anyone please tell me where the Gruffalo illustration is hiding in Monkey Puzzle :)

StealthPolarBear · 02/02/2012 20:33

Snail and the whale is brilliant, also like squash and a squeeze
Smartest giant not good - I started reading it expecting it to rhyme :(