The Gruffalo :: Read Aloud Thursday

Time for another Read Aloud Thursday hosted by Amy at Hope is the Word.

(To link up to Read Aloud Thursdays, click over to Hope is the Word.)

Ever since (it's been so long now, you see) I discovered that Trenton Lee Stewart really enjoyed The Gruffalo I had to know what it was about. I saw the cover and thought it was likely to be a hit with Bookworm1 and so I went ahead and ordered a copy. I was right about Bookworm1. But the person who has requested the most re-reads of this book is Bookworm2 (age 3.) We think he likes it because it's a story of how the littlest creature got the best of all of the larger creatures.

If you are unfamiliar with The Gruffalo - as I was - I have to say it's a pretty cute story. There is a small mouse in the woods who keeps being invited over for dinner by various other animals. An owl asks him up to his house for a bite, and a snake offers him food and drink as well. Mouse always thanks them for their offer but tells them he's waiting to meet up with a Gruffalo. Mouse describes a perfectly terrifying creature who loves nothing better than to eat owls and snakes. This news makes the predators run away from mouse which is, of course, the intended purpose. Lo and behold though, there is such a creature and mouse has to think fast to avoid becoming a yummy snack for this big, hairy beast!

It's a very fun story and the illustrations by Axel Scheffler just add to the enjoyment. The Gruffalo, despite being described in a terrifying manner, looks cartoony enough to be friendly and appealing to the young reader; a fact I appreciated. And oh how appealing this story is! We read it at least once a day. We must therefore give this book eight thumbs up. (Daddy likes this story as a read-aloud as well and Baby will likely add her thumbs when she's old enough to do so, which will bring the total to 10 thumbs. Impressive.)

Interesting items of note regarding The Gruffalo:

* This book has sold over 10.5 million copies.
* It was the best-selling children's book in the UK in 2000.
* It has been translated into multiple languages, including Dutch, German, Hebrew, Swedish and Turkish.
* It was made into a short animated film which Bookworm1 is curious to see. We've made no promises.
* It has been adapted for the stage by the Tall Stories theater company.

Apparently we're behind in The Gruffalo Craze. But we're catching up!