The Gruffalo got heavy rotation in our house when my kids were younger. Julia Donaldson’s clever rhymes and Axel Scheffler’s illustrations made it a bedtime favorite for years.
If your kid is obsessed with the Gruffalo, here are some books, toys, and activities to keep that obsession going.
New Gruffalo Book Coming in 2026
Big news for Gruffalo fans: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are releasing a brand new Gruffalo picture book in September 2026. This is the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years. No details yet on the plot, but mark your calendars.
Gruffalo Books for Babies and Toddlers
These are designed for the youngest Gruffalo fans. Sturdy pages, simple text, and the familiar characters.
My First Gruffalo Little Library
A set of four tiny board books in a slipcase. Each one focuses on a different concept: colors, numbers, opposites, and the characters. Great for babies and young toddlers. The small size works well for little hands but can feel limiting once your kid is past age 2.
Gruffalo Buggy Book
This one clips to your stroller, car seat, or shopping cart. Tough board book construction that survives being thrown on the ground repeatedly. My daughter went through a phase of launching books from her stroller, and this one held up.
My First Gruffalo Touch-And-Feel
A sensory board book where your kid can feel the Gruffalo’s tusks, bumpy knees, and spiky back. Works best for babies and very young toddlers who are still exploring textures. Not much text, but that’s the point at this age.
Gruffalo Activity Books
Once kids are past the board book stage, activity books extend the Gruffalo fun. These work well for car trips, quiet time, or rainy days.
The Gruffalo Activity Book has puzzles, mazes, coloring pages, and games. Designed for ages 3-5, it keeps kids busy without screens.
The Gruffalo Sticker Book includes over 400 stickers with scenes to complete. My kids burned through this one in a weekend, but they loved every minute.
The Gruffalo’s Child Activity Book has the same format but features the sequel’s snowy forest setting. Good if your kid prefers the Gruffalo’s Child story.
Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes is a cookbook with 24 kid-friendly recipes inspired by the story. The “owl ice cream” was a hit at our house.
Gruffalo Toys and Plushies
Aurora Gruffalo Plush
A 16-inch soft toy with good detail. The quality is solid and it looks like the book character. We used ours as a reading companion. Heads up: not recommended for kids under 3 due to small parts.
Other Gruffalo Toys Worth Knowing About
Talking Gruffalo Figure: Press a button to hear phrases from the movie. About 12 inches tall with moveable arms and legs. My son thought this was the coolest thing ever at age 4.
Gruffalo Story Time Family Pack: Includes the Gruffalo, Mouse, Owl, Fox, and Snake as small figures. Good for acting out the story or imaginative play.
Gruffalo Games
Beyond books and toys, there are actual games featuring the Gruffalo characters.
The Gruffalo Board Game: A hide-and-seek game where players search the deep dark wood for characters. Simple enough for preschoolers, engaging enough to not bore parents.
Gruffalo Dobble: The Gruffalo version of the classic matching game. Fast-paced and works for mixed ages. Our family still plays this one.
Gruffalo Colorforms: Reusable vinyl stickers on play boards. Good for travel since the pieces don’t fall everywhere like regular stickers.
Easy Gruffalo Crafts
If you’d rather make something than buy it, a few craft projects work well for Gruffalo fans:
Gruffalo Mask: Print a template, let kids color it, cut it out, and add an elastic string. Pan Macmillan has free printable templates on their site.
Finger Puppets: Also available as free printables. Print, cut, tape into loops that fit on fingers. Kids can act out the story.
Forest Scene: Brown paper bag for the Gruffalo’s body, construction paper for the forest. Let kids recreate the deep dark wood. More mess than the printables, but more creative too.
For Teachers and Classrooms
The Gruffalo works well for literacy lessons. The rhyming structure helps with phonemic awareness. The story has clear beginning, middle, and end for sequencing activities. The mouse’s cleverness opens discussions about problem-solving.
Twinkl and Teachers Pay Teachers have extensive Gruffalo lesson resources. Many are free or low-cost.
Social-emotional learning tie-ins: courage (the mouse), facing fears (the Gruffalo’s Child), and the difference between appearing scary and being kind.
Free Gruffalo Activities
Don’t want to buy anything? Pan Macmillan offers free downloadable activity sheets including coloring pages, dot-to-dots, and finger puppet templates. The official Gruffalo website also has games and activities.
What’s Next
Want more Julia Donaldson? Check our Julia Donaldson books guide for recommendations beyond The Gruffalo.
Looking for age-appropriate books? Browse our guides for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds.
Axel Scheffler also illustrated a free coronavirus book for kids. Read about it in our Axel Scheffler coronavirus book article.
About These Recommendations
I’m George. I read to my kids for 10+ years before they started reading on their own. My wife’s a therapist who helped pick books that actually matter for development. Everything on this site got tested on our family first.
FAQs
The original picture book works best for ages 3-6. Board book versions suit babies and toddlers. The story remains engaging for older kids too, especially during read-alouds.
Yes. The Gruffalo’s Child follows the Gruffalo’s daughter as she ventures into the forest. A brand new Gruffalo picture book is also coming in September 2026, the first new story in over 20 years.
Axel Scheffler illustrated The Gruffalo and most of Julia Donaldson’s picture books. His distinctive style is instantly recognizable.
Yes. BBC produced an animated adaptation in 2009 narrated by Helena Bonham Carter. A sequel, The Gruffalo’s Child, followed in 2011. Both are available on streaming platforms and DVD.
Yes. The Gruffalo Board Game is a hide-and-seek game for preschoolers. Gruffalo Dobble is a matching card game. The official Gruffalo website also has free online games.
The Gruffalo works for literacy (rhyming, sequencing, comprehension), math (counting characters), and social-emotional learning (courage, problem-solving). Twinkl and Teachers Pay Teachers have extensive lesson resources.
Pan Macmillan offers free downloadable coloring sheets, activity pages, and craft templates. The official Gruffalo website at gruffalo.com has games and printables too.
Yes. The Gruffalo Activity Book and The Gruffalo Sticker Book are popular options. There’s also The Gruffalo’s Child Activity Book and a Gruffalo recipe book for cooking with kids.