Books I Love to Read Aloud- Part 1 - 'The Gruffalo'

'THE GRUFFALO' 

The Gruffalo is a 15 year old classic children's book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler that has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. I recently borrowed the book from the library for my 2 year old and had no inkling before I turned its pages that I would love it just as much as my boy does! From the time we borrowed the book, we have read the book tens of times without once getting tired of it! I love it when my son who has memorized most of the lines from the book, finishes my sentences and prompts me on the next line.

"Oh help! Oh no, its a Gruffalo!" 

"What's a Gruffalo?"

"Why didn't you know? With his terrible claws and terrible jaws, Gruffalo is the  most loved monster ever to set paw!"

Here's my take on what makes Gruffalo the classic, super loved hit that it is?

A. The Storyline - Gruffalo's story starts with a hungry little brown mouse making his way across the deep dark woods to find food. On the way he is accosted by the fox, the owl and the snake all who want to devour the mouse. The witty, clever mouse escapes being made cold meat by these bigger and fiercer animals by weaving a tale about an imaginary animal called the Gruffalo. And he remains unshaken even when this fearsome imaginary monster comes alive and is ready to eat the little mouse "on a slice of bread." How the little mouse tricks the animals into believing he is friends with Gruffalo and Gruffalo  into believing that these animals are afraid of him is as clever a tale as can be.

These lines from the second last page of the book sum up the story well;

Mouse: "Well, Gruffalo, you see? Everyone is afraid of me. And now my tummy is beginning to rumble, my favourite food is ----Gruffalo crumble" 

"Gruffalo crumble!" the Gruffalo said, And quick as the wind he turned and fled.

B. The Characters - The characters are simply adorable! The mouse, the fox, the snake, the owl and even the orange eyed monster are all endearing! The name 'Gruffalo' is created imaginatively by the author as she was looking for something ending with 'o' to rhyme with "Why, didn't you know?" has the potential of becoming a legend ....we might have generations of children asking their mothers, "So does the Gruffalo really exist?"

C. The Story-Telling - The book is perfect for reading aloud because of how the lines rhyme. The author Julia Donaldson says, she had written Gruffalo originally as a  poem and it shows in the narrative. It is a pleasure both for the reader and the listener as the lines roll smoothly on the tongue and ring well on the ears, "Here by this stream and his favourite food is owl-ice cream."  Also the vivid story-telling gives plenty of scope to the reader to modulate the tone and play with the words and expressions. It is possible to say, "A Gruffalo" in a hundred different ways depending on who said it and why? This makes Gruffalo a splendid book to read aloud to kids!

D. The Illustrations - Children's books are  more about the illustrations than about the stories. Young children are often able to follow the storyline only through the illustrations and look forward to seeing these each time the book is read. The animator for the book, Axel Scheffler has created masterpieces in the book; undoubtedly without his brilliant illustrations Gruffalo would be nothing of the roaring success it is! Every expression of the character explains the story line explicitly. From the smug expression of the mouse to the wide-eyed  expression of the owl to the amazed expression of the Gruffalo- its all etched out clearly page after page in Alex Scheffler's clever illustrations!

E. The Moral  - The classic 'David-Goliath', brain over brawn storyline of Gruffalo gives life's lessons in a subtle yet clever way. The mouse escapes his fate not once but four times only because of his sheer wit, fearlessness and presence of mind!

My rating a 10 on 5. A highly enjoyable, book recommended for all ages - 18 months to 80 years!  If you haven't read this classic yet or are looking for a book to read to your child, go for this. You will not regret it. For me, next on the Read Aloud list, 'The Gruffalo's Child.'

Some more info about the book;

'The Gruffalo' was voted The Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book of the Year Awards in 2005. The Gruffalo, has won many awards, including the the Blue Peter Award for The Best Book to Read Aloud – and in 2009 was voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story. Gruffalo's sequel,  'The Gruffalo’s Child' was introduced to the world in 2005 and became an instant hit. Gruffalo's story has been translated into over fifty languages for readers all over the world. Both the stories have been adapted for the stage as well as have been made into successful films. To know more about the book visit their official website,  http://www.gruffalo.com/which also has songs, printable images and where little gruffalo lovers can create their own cutsie monsters! The 15th special anniversary edition of the book is available now in leading bookstores and online stores worldwide.

My son enjoying his fav read - The Gruffalo!