Introducing. . . Gruffalo Granny
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler reveal the title of their new picture book.
Today, after months of eager anticipation and speculation, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have revealed the title of their new picture book. The new story, publishing in hardback and audio book on 10 September 2026, will be called Gruffalo Granny.
Gruffalo Granny
by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years. Brand-new character Granny joins the Gruffalo family in this exciting new adventure that has all the hallmarks of a Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler classic. Get reacquainted with much-loved characters from both The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child including Fox, Snake, Owl and of course, the courageous mouse.
Get your claws on this brand new Gruffalo story first – pre-order now!
The Gruffalo was first published on 23 March 1999 and The Gruffalo’s Child on September 3 2004. Combined sales are 18.2 million and the books have sold in 115 languages and dialects. There has been much speculation over the years about whether Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler would return to the deep dark wood a third time and Macmillan Children’s Books saw a fantastically warm welcome from readers across the world when the book was announced in April 2025.
‘It’s always a challenge to write a sequel. Five years elapsed between publication of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, and now it will be more than twenty between The Gruffalo’s Child and the third book. I actually had the basic idea for the story a long time ago, but couldn’t think how to develop it. It was only when the National Literacy Trust, 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. 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.’
— Julia Donaldson
‘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. I’m also very happy that the Gruffalos will get involved in some charitable activities to reach even more young readers with support from the National Literacy Trust.’
— Axel Scheffler
‘The impact that Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler, and The Gruffalo have had on families around the world can not be underestimated, the sheer amount of global excitement following the announcement of the new book has been evidence of this. We are so proud to publish Julia and Axel here at Macmillan’s Children’s Books, and we can’t wait for children and families to experience this new story together, especially in the National Year of Reading. Get ready for this September, Granny is coming to stay.’
— Alison Ruane, M.D. at Macmillan Children’s Books
