Aha! Oho! A new 'Gruffalo' book is coming out in 2026, after more than 20 years
It's been more than a quarter of a century since the first Gruffalo book came out. Now a third book is set to be published next year. — Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa
The first new Gruffalo picture book in more than two decades will be released next year.
Children's book duo author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler will work on the as-yet untitled Gruffalo story to be published in September 2026.
The pair previously teamed up on The Gruffalo in 1999 and the 2004 follow-up The Gruffalo's Child . More than 18.2 million copies were sold, according to Macmillan Children's Books.
The original picture book sees a mouse takes a stroll through the woods and encounter various predators who wish to eat him. To escape his fate, he invents a fearsome creature called "The Gruffalo", only to later encounter a real Gruffalo, leading to an unexpected turn of events that showcases the mouse's wit and bravery.
Donaldson said that she had the idea for a third Gruffalo story for a while and had been encouraged to complete it by the UK charity National Literacy Trust (NLT).
"It was only when the NLT, whose work I'm very impressed by, used the first two books as part of their Early Words Matter programme that I was spurred on to get my idea out of the cupboard and see once and for all if I could turn it into a really satisfying story," she said.
"To my surprise, I managed to do just that! I was, of course, delighted when Axel came on board, and am even more so now that I've seen the brilliant sketches he's already done for the new book. I really hope that children - and adults too - will enjoy the new story, as I know what a wonderful experience shared reading can be."
Scheffler said: "Never say never - a lesson learnt for me who, whenever asked, denied the possibility of another visit to the deep dark wood. Till one day out of the blue there came a wonderfully clever and inspired new text by Julia.
"How does she do this? Could I decline? Of course not! As I have had to draw the odd Gruffalo and his daughter over the last 20 years, I'm not completely out of practice."
Alison Ruane, managing director of Macmillan Children's Books said the book will be a "true landmark publishing event". – dpa
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